Chapter 1	Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 12

The subject of today’s discourse is, “To Whom Do You Belong? Where Do You Come From?” These are eternal questions of the human mind. When human beings first came onto this earth, the first questions that confronted them were “To whom do I belong? Where do I come from? Where shall I go?” People have been researching the answers to these questions since time immemorial, but they have not always found the answers. When people ask questions just for the sake of asking, they usually do not find the proper answer. In order to get the correct answer, they have to realize the inner import of the questions – otherwise the questions will remain forever unanswered.

Some time ago I mentioned one poem of Tagore, in which he said,

Pratham diner súrya prashna karechila
Sattár nútan ávirbháve, Ke tumi?
Mele ni uttar.
Vatsar vatsar cale gela
Divaser sheś súrya shesh prashna uccárila
Paschim ságar tiire nistabdha sandhyáy
Ke tumi?
Pela ná uttar.

[In the sunrise of the first day, the question arose before the first emerging being – “Who are you?” There was no answer. Years and years passed by. The setting sun of the last day repeated the last question on the still evening of the western horizon, “Who are you?” Still there was no answer.]

I shall return to the source from where I came, in whom I exist, and who is that entity? Unless human beings discover the answer to the question, “To whom do you belong?” they cannot answer the question. “From where do you come?” The answer is that they belong to that supreme indestructible Entity. When He was unmanifest, he was in His eternal stance – His nityabháva. When He becomes manifest, He remains in His liilábháva, His playful stance. And when He is in the latter state, the microcosms come into the world.

Satyaloke nirákárá mahájyotisvarúpińii
Máyábalkalaḿ saḿtyajya dvidhábhinná yadonmukhii
Náyáccháditátmánaḿ canakárarúpińii
Shivashakti vibhágena jáyate srśt́ikalpaná.

This created world is composed of the Supreme Cognitive Principle and the Supreme Operative Principle: Shivashaktyátmakaḿ Brahma. When this Supreme Operative principle is in a dormant stage, nothing is created. But when according to the will of Parama Shiva, when the Operative Principle or Máyá is stirred, then Her dormant force is manifest Then the tremendous vital energy is stimulated to action, and this quinquelemental universe emerges.

Before this world was created, in the satyaloka [realm of truth] Prakrti was dormant, but there was tremendous unmanifested potentiality in Her. Even at that primordial stage satya or truth was present. Truth is not inseparable from anything – it will not be non-existent if such-and-such a thing is non-existent. Before human beings came onto this earth, there were solar and lunar eclipses even though there were no human beings to record those events. So truth is not inseparable from anyone or anything: its existence does not depend on anything else. It is self-manifest. What is truth? It is the recognized status of veracity.

Human beings came onto this earth about a million years ago. In this universe, our earth is not only the only planet, nor is the sun the only star. There are numerous stars and luminous bodies and planets. Wherever there is a proper balance amongst the five fundamental factors, there life has evolved. Various species of animals have evolved on various planets, are living today, will remain for some time, and in the future will disappear. History shows that so many animals roamed this earth with great prowess, but their strength gradually waned and they have become totally extinct. One day human beings will also be extinct on this planet. But this does not mean that they will become extinct on all other planets also. Before this earth becomes unfit for human habitation or faces a complete thermal death the developed human beings will travel to other planets. Thus they will never become completely extinct in this universe.

Out of the Macrocosmic Consciousness evolved solid matter. And due to cosmic attraction, the same matter, through various individual manifestations, is advancing towards Parama Puruśa. Perhaps the speed of movement varies with different entities: some are moving very fast, some slowly, some very slowly, but movement is a must for all. So no one should ever think that if anyone slips and stumbles on the ground, their movement is stopped forever. In fact, their movement will continue ceaselessly; it will never come to an end.

Those who have fallen today may become evolved people, great personalities in the future – mahápuruśas. This is why no one should ever be disappointed in life. Parama Puruśa is calling everyone and He will continue to call everyone: all shall find a safe shelter on His loving lap. He does not hate or neglect anyone. Hence the only answer to the question, “kasya tvam” – “Whom do you belong to?” – is: “I belong to Parama Puruśa, to Him and Him alone, because I have come from Him and I am in Him, and finally I will return to Him.” And the only answer to the question, “Kuta áyátah” – “From where have you come?” – is: “I have come from Parama Puruśa and I will go back to Him. He is my permanent abode.”

One of the names of Parama Puruśa is Shriinivása. Here the Saḿskrta word shrii means “the most charming personality.” The word shrii is derived from sha + ra + uniiś. Sha is the acoustic root of the mutative principle and ra is the acoustic root of energy. With the help of these two things, sha plus ra, human beings are moving, dancing, speaking and doing so many things. Obviously they need sha and ra very much. The supreme abode of this shrii is Parama Puruśa: hence He is affectionately called Shriinivása. To Him only all the living beings will return, either today or tomorrow. That is the supreme abode of bliss, the supreme culminating point – ánandadháma… parágati.

Very often people become victims of disappointment for the sole reason that they forget their goal of life. If they look towards their goal, then their disappointments and frustrations will cease. Whenever a human being is created, he or she comes within the Cosmic mind. So when the microcosms move towards Macrocosmic Consciousness, Parama Puruśa is watching: Parama Puruśa is with them holding their hands. It is the humans who do not look towards Him – this is their misfortune, not His. They may sometimes request Him to hold their hands and lead them towards the goal but even this is not necessary, because He is always holding them. The tragedy is that in their foolish effort to walk alone, people often stumble and fall down. This is not the fault of Parama Puruśa, for He is with everyone. This movement of Parama Puruśa with each individual is called His ota yoga: and when he looks upon the entire universe at a time collectively, it is called His prota yoga. Thus He is with the microcosms both in individual and collective association.

So the answer to the question, “Whom do you belong to?” is “I belong to Parama Puruśa.” And the answer to the question “From where have you come?” is “I have come from Parama Puruśa, from the nucleus of the universe, and finally I will return to Him, my permanent abode.”

Sarvájiive sarvasaḿsthe brhante
Tasmin haḿso brhámyate brahmacakre
Prthagátmánaḿ preritáraḿca matvá
Juśt́astatastenámrtatvameti.

All entities, living or non-living, are rotating around Parama Puruśa – some consciously, some unconsciously, – with so many thoughts and idiosyncrasies, so many bodies and structures. When will their movement come to an end? It will end only when they realize that Parama Puruśa and they themselves are one and inseparable; then will they become one with Parama Puruśa. The more sincerely people will follow the spiritual cult, the more their distance from Parama Puruśa will decrease; and when that distance becomes nil, the microcosms will merge in Macrocosmic Consciousness – jiiva will become Shiva. This is the parágati, the supreme culminating point of all microcosmic movement.

Chapter 2	Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 12

Today’s discourse is, “Microcosm and Its Object of Ideation.” The microcosm is a macro-psychic conation, and as such all the attributions of Macrocosm, all the rules of Macrocosm are present in the microcosm also, but in a miniature form. By nature, the microcosm is an objectivated counterpart of the Macrocosm and it, being within the infinite scope of Macrocosm, goes on moving and moving. The path is of infinite length. It will go on moving until it reaches that definite goal. What should be the goal? One of the psychic rules is that any object takes the form of its goal, i.e. it is transmuted into its object. So, the object of ideation for the microcosm is to be selected very carefully. Now let us see what should be the object of ideation?

First of all, take the case of the tempus, the Tempus Eternal. What is it? It is a psychic measurement of the motivity of action. Now, can it be the object of ideation? It cannot be the object of ideation because the first thing is, it is psychic measurement. For psychic measurement there must be a psychic body, i.e. the unit psychic body, and when the unit psychic body measures it, it cannot be the Supreme Entity. Hence it cannot be the object of ideation. The second thing is, psychic mobility means a change of space. The entity that requires a psychic change of place or change of space cannot be the Supreme Entity. For this reason also, the tempus eternal cannot be your object of ideation. The third thing is, this measurement is dependent on the mobility or motivity of action. What is motivity or mobility? It is also based on the change of physical place or space. When this physical world was first created, then the measurement of action was done by the psychic body of the Macrocosm. So the fact is that the entity whose very existence depends upon these physical or psycho-physical factors cannot be the Supreme Entity. So here we see that the tempus eternal cannot be our goal; it is not something psychic, it is not even something abstract. It is something cruder than human beings; human beings are the creators of this entity, hence it is not our object of ideation, it cannot be our object of meditation, it cannot be our object of adoration or exaltation.

Then take the case of nature. There were some persons in the past who were worshippers of nature, worshipping trees or sky. Can nature be the object of ideation? No, certainly not. What is nature? Nature is the name of a particular style according to which the Operative Principle functions. It is simply a style. That style cannot be the object of meditation or ideation. And the second thing is, as nature is nothing but a style, if that style becomes the object, then that very entity will be converted into a style only. It is a foolish idea. So such nature worshippers, may be learned scholars, but actually they are in fools’ paradise. Nature cannot be your object of ideation.

The third is Fate. There are many people who are fatalists. They are worshippers of fate. A fatalist means a worshipper of fate – a worshipper of fortune or fate. They are worse than nature-worshippers. What is fate? There is nothing such as fate in this universe. So far as the philosophy is concerned there cannot be anything called fate. What is fate? Everyone has to undergo the reaction of his or her past actions, the reaction of the original action. Suppose your finger comes in contact with fire; you will feel pain, you will have to suffer but, at that moment one will say that because your finger came in contact with fire, that’s why you are suffering. But when the reaction takes place after a long gap, and when the original action is not known or has been forgotten, or when the original action took place in another past life, and you do not know what was the original action – in that case you say, it is fate, it is fate. But actually there is no fate. What you call fate is actually the reaction of our past actions. In saḿskrta, it is called saḿskára, in Latin “reactive momenta”. So the third thing is, fate cannot be the object of ideation – fate is simply the reaction of the original action. So when there is no original action, there cannot be any reaction. The reaction is a creation of your own action. When the reaction is a creation of your own action, you are the creator of the action. So, how can the reaction be your object of ideation? No, a person must not be a fatalist, a fate-worshipper, a person must be bold and bravely face all troubles, all consequences. No one should be a fatalist. So fate cannot be the object of meditation. Fight against fate.

Then, some people say that these are His accidental creations. This universe is an accidental creation. That accident is the root cause of this creation. Accident is the supreme because it has created the world, and so accident should be the object of ideation. It is also a foolish idea. What is accident? There is nothing such as accident – everything is incident. When an action is materialized within a very short time, or when the root cause of the action is not known to us, we are just seeing the reaction, the incident. When the cause, the causal side of the incident is not known to us, or when the causal side is translated into action in a very short time we say it is an accident. But actually nothing is accidental, everything is incidental. Because of our lack of knowledge, we say it is accidental. When the causal side, the causal factor is translated into action slowly, we do not say it is an accident, we say it is an incident. An accident is not something providential, something beyond the scope of time, space and person. The entity which is within, not beyond the periphery of time, place and person cannot be your goal, your object of ideation, your creator or the source of exaltation.

Some people say, these quinquelemental factors of which this universe is made should be the object of ideation. What are these quinquelemental factors? They are nothing but a condensed form of energy. What is energy? It is nothing but the condensed form of psychic stamina. How can these quinquelemental factors of this expressed world be the object of meditation? They cannot be your goal, they cannot send you into the path of beatitude. So those who are worshippers or meditators of the quinquelemental factors are misguided people. They are just wasting their energy for nothing.

Some people are of the opinion that the Cosmic energy is the original source, the causal matrix of the universe, and hence this causal matrix will be the object of ideation. But what is this causal Matrix? This Cosmic Energy cannot be regarded as the causal matrix because it is a blind force. Energy is a blind force, electricity is a blind force – it is controlled by the human intellect. So the Cosmic Energy, having no intellectual support behind it, cannot be the causal matrix, because everywhere in this universe we see that everything is in an orderly style, i.e. there is an intelligence behind the Cosmic Energy. And that is why there is order everywhere, there is system everywhere. The entire creation is of a systematic order; it cannot be the creation of a blind force or blind energy. There must be some intelligence behind it. So the Cosmic Energy cannot be treated as the causal matrix, and thus no godhead can be ascribed to it. It cannot attain the status of the causal matrix.

Some people are of the opinion that there is soul, there is spirit in each and every structure and that spirit is the goal of our life. You see, there are so many spirits and souls associated with so many microcosms, but they have to function under certain limitations. They cannot go beyond the arena of the microcosms. An object, or rather an entity having such a limited scope like the unit spirit or unit cognitive faculty cannot be your object of ideation, cannot be the Supreme Creator.

Who should be your object of ideation? Who is the faculty that created you, feeds you, and takes you on his lap when the proper time comes? He is the Cognitive Force behind the Cosmic Energy. He controls the Cosmic Energy with his intellectual and intuitional power. He is the Parama Puruśa and actually He is the causal matrix, and so He should be your only object of ideation, your only object of meditation, He is the Supreme Father. There is no other alternative but to move along His path: He knoweth all. Be one with Him. Now from the very start of your life in the distant past and up to the final culmination of all your movements and marches you are with Him, you will be with Him and under no circumstances can you be away from Him. So He – the Parama Puruśa, is the only object of ideation.

The root meaning of the term bábá is “the dearest one” or “the nearest one”. As He is the Supreme Father, the Parama Puruśa, He is Bábá of the entire creation; and because you are the created beings, you are His loving children, you are also His Bábá – because bábá means “nearest and dearest one”. As He is your only object of ideation, as His name is the only projection of your microcosmic entity, only thought-projection, only introversial projection – intro-cum-extroversial projection – so His name should be always with you – in your mind, in your tongue, in your vocal cord, everywhere. And I feel, and I also realize, and that is why I say, when His devotees, His children, sing Bábá nám kevalam, He also sings Bábá nám kevalam.

Kalyáńamastu [Let there be welfare].

Chapter 3	Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 12

The subject of today’s discourse is, “The Noumenal Cause and the Personal God”. When One creates many that One is called the noumenal cause. And when “many” is created from One, that “many” is called the phenomenal effect. We may say, “Falsehood is the noumenal cause of all social crimes”. Here social crimes are the phenomenal effects, and falsehood is the noumenal cause. Whatever we see in this universe, there is an apparent noumenal cause. We see so many milk products: milk is the noumenal cause, milk is the apparent noumenal cause. That is, it is not the supreme noumenal entity. And above all so called apparent noumenal causes, there is the supreme noumenal entity, and that supreme noumenal entity is the Parama Puruśa. That Parama Puruśa is not something theoretical or abstract; that Parama Puruśa is your bigger “I”, is your greater “I”, your Supreme Father, your nearest and dearest entity. Here, the subject is that noumenal cause. Is that noumenal cause simply a philosophical figure or a figure of science? Or is it nothing but a profound hypothesis? Here the subject is: “The Noumenal Cause and the Personal God”.

As I told you yesterday, human approaches are of four kinds. There are four clear aspects of human expressions, of human manifestations. And these manifestations are not only extro-internal, but intro-external also. That is, the process may be from crude towards subtle, or from subtle towards crude also. When a person moves toward that noumenal cause, the movement is extro-internal. And when that noumenal cause comes in closer contact with His progeny, with His sons and daughters, the movement is intro-external.

One may say, for Him there is nothing external, everything is internal. For the jiivas, for the created beings, there are both intro-external and extro-internal movements. Yes, for Him there is nothing external, but here the word “external” has been used in the sense that the movement is external from the nucleus – not beyond the periphery of His mind, but beyond the periphery of His centre of action. Similarly the intro-external movement of human beings is from their cognitive point, towards their ectoplasmic manifestation. And these manifestations take place within the periphery of that ectoplasmic body; nothing is without, everything within. But that extro-internal movement starts from the hub of the ectoplasmic structure and moves towards the Cosmic noumenal entity, towards the Cosmic hub. I said last night that the movement is psycho-spiritual. And during this psycho-spiritual movement, human beings are moving towards the Supreme Nucleus. If they know, or if they are under the impression that this Supreme Entity is a philosophical figure, or a figure of science, a figure just like a stool or other inanimate object, then their physical structure may move toward Him, towards the noumenal entity – their minds may also move, but their sentiment will not be stirred.

And just to accelerate the speed, rather for the very existence of speed, a sentimental support, a sentimental propulsion is an indispensable necessity. Now, this sentimental support must be based on rationality. Sentimentality based on rationality is the strongest force in the universe. And sentimentality without rationality takes the form of, or rather the distortion of, dogma. Now what does rationality say? Each and every particle of this universe, from a big mammoth to a small blade of grass is of His creation and of the Macropsychic conation. Hence the relationship is that of Father and children, Father and His loving children – the Supreme progenitor and His progeny. There cannot be more than one noumenal cause. The Supreme noumenal entity is a singular one. So the conception of so many gods, so many goddesses, so many ghosts are all based on defective ideas. The Supreme Father, noumenal entity, is a singular entity. And that noumenal entity is the loving Father. One’s relationship with the loving Father is one of love and affection, is a domestic relationship. There is nothing formal, no sort of formality in it. It is purely domestic, a family relationship. So the noumenal cause is not just a theoretical entity; it is your Father, your nearest and dearest one.

And one should not be afraid of God, one should not be God-fearing – one must be God-loving. One must not be afraid of hell and one must not have any charm or fascination for the so-called heaven. One must know that one has come from that Supreme progenitor and the culminating point of all sorts of movements is that Supreme Father. Everything cometh from Him, and everything goeth back to Him. The relationship is one of love and affection, and not of any fear complex. One must not say, “Oh God, I am a sinner.” You need not say like this – it is superfluous to say like this. Because whatever you did is known to Him. Then what is the necessity of saying, “Oh God, I am a sinner?” He knows everything; you need not remind Him that you are a sinner.

And you know, if you always think, “I am a sinner, I am a sinner”, then actually you will become a sinner, if you are not already a sinner – because what a person thinks, he or she will become like that. If you always think, “I am a sinner, I am a sinner”, then actually you will become a sinner. So what are you to think? What are you to ideate upon? That is: “Oh Father, I am your loving child. I was a bit misguided, now please help me. I want to sit on your lap, I want to remain with you, I want to be an ideal boy, an ideal girl of yours, just help me. I am very weak and you are the strongest personality”, you should say like this. Why should you say, “I am a culprit, I am a sinner, I am a bad person?” And in the social sphere, in the civic sphere, in any other sphere of society, you may be a bad person, but for your Father you are not at all bad. He will always try to save you and rectify you. He has got immense grace for you. So you should not destroy or distort your career by saying, “I am a sinner, I am bad.” Then naturally your Father will be angry. He will say, “Oh naughty chap, I know you are a sinner. What’s the necessity of saying that?” So you should remember that the noumenal cause although it is the Supreme entity in the entire universe, has a very close relationship with you. That supreme noumenal entity is your loving Father; He is not the judge of a court. He is your loving Father, the relationship is purely domestic.

Now, when one is ensconced in the supreme stance, in the Supreme idea, one will be successful in each and every arena of human life. Whatever you will do like rendering social service – will be fruitful, and you will get immense pleasure in it. But if there is no love for the Supreme entity, then what will happen? Your work will be fruitless, and you will suffer from different kinds of psychic disease, including frustration. If you do your Sádhaná for ten or twenty-four hours in a day, but there is no love for the Supreme entity, you are simply misusing the time, abusing the time. So the first and foremost thing is that you should always remember that you are not an ordinary person, you have not come from an ordinary family, you have come from the noblest and the highest family of the universe because your Father is the most respectable person in the entire universe. So you must not suffer from any sort of defeatist complex, any sort of fear complex or any sort of hopelessness or helplessness, because your Father is always with you.

You know, the Supreme noumenal entity maintains the closest relationship with all other apparent noumenal entities, the so-called noumenal entities, and those so-called noumenal entities maintain a link with each and every expression of this universe. This indirect link of the noumenal entity is called Prota Yoga in saḿskrta. That is, whatever you are doing is indirectly known to Him through your direct noumenal entity. And not only that, He keeps a direct relationship with you also. “Today we will decorate the hall in a very nice way, as is done in the case of DMC. And when Bábá will see those things, He will say, ‘Let there be DMC.’” See, these things have a direct reflection, not on your apparent noumenal entity, but directly on the Supreme hub, directly on the Supreme noumenal entity. And He will say, “Let me satisfy those little boys and girls by declaring a subject of discourse.”

The link, you see, is an indirect link with each and every entity, through so many noumenal entities, and also a direct link with each and every individual, from a mammoth to a blade of grass. So a mammoth cannot move without His grace, and a blade of grass also cannot move without His approval. And this shows that He maintains a link with each and every entity. Nobody is unimportant, nobody is insignificant. Each and every existence is valuable. And the life of an old widow of, say, 100 years, is also not meaningless. Her existence also bears certain significance. If an ordinary ant dies a premature death, the equilibrium of the entire universe will be lost. Nobody is unimportant, so you must not develop the psychology of helplessness or hopelessness or defeatist complex or fear complex, because the Supreme Father, the Supreme noumenal entity is always with you. And that link with the individual is known as Ota-yoga. In the case of the collectivity it is Prota-Yoga; in the case of the individual it is Ota-Yoga. You are never alone. And your goal is that noumenal entity, that Parama Puruśa and no number two or number three or number four, no gods or goddesses; only the singular entity, the God of all gods.

Chapter 4	Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 12

The subject of today’s discourse is, “How an Ideal Person Should Live.” Human beings do not come on the earth for a very long period of time. They live for a certain period of time, perform some actions, eat and drink, and do some service to others. Sometimes they become angry, sometimes they complain against one another; and thereafter the drama of life comes to an end – they fall into eternal slumber. That is, in short, human life, full of pains and pleasures, hopes and aspirations. In spite of all these, human beings must follow a fixed code of conduct; they have to maintain a particular rhythm in their lifestyles, and nothing should go against that rhythm. When human beings come onto this earth they know that they will not live forever; whether they live in honour or dishonour, they will have to leave the earth one day.

Málá bat́e shukiye mare
Ye jan málá pare
Seo to nay amar;
Tabe duhkha kiser tare?

[The flower garland no doubt withers, but the person who wears the garland is not immortal either. Then where is the scope for grief?]

As human beings do not live forever, then how should they live their lives? Some people suggest, “Go on doing good deeds. By your noble actions you will get self-satisfaction, and besides, those good actions will produce good relations as well.” But the question is: why should one perform good deeds? It may be to obtain good reactions and mental peace but why does one get mental peace? Is it from the expectation of those good results? In this regard Lord Krśńa says,

Karmańyevádhikáraste má phaleśu kadácana.

[You have the right to actions, not to the fruits thereof.]

In the same way, the Tantra also declares,

Ná bhuktaḿ kśiiyate Karma kalpakot́ishataerapi
Avashyameva bhoktavyaḿ Krtaḿ karma shubháshubham.

or

Yávanna kśiiyate karma shubhaḿcáshubhameva ca
Távanna jáyate mokśa nrńáḿ kalpashataerapi
Yathá laohamayaeh páshaeh páshaer svarńamayaerapi
Tathá baddho bhávejiiva karmábhishcáshubaershubaeh.

An original action begets a certain reaction, and simultaneously brings one within the bondage of actions. Unless those bondages are broken, the microcosms will have to keep moving in a cycle of action and reaction – they will have to be reborn again and again on this earth. Those who are the followers of Jaimini’s school of Miimáḿsá philosophy and who believe in the concept of hell, assert that those who perform good deeds to go to heaven, and after a certain period of time when their reaping of the consequences of their good actions is over, they are reborn as human beings on this earth. Of course, philosophically we do not subscribe to this view, because we do not believe in the existence of heaven. But it is true that the good reactions of good deeds will certainly come to an end some day. What will happen then? King Yudhiśt́hira once said,

Karma kari yeijan phalákáuṋkśii hay
Bańiker mata sei báńijya karay;
Phal lobhe karma kari lubdha bali táre
Lobhe punah punah paŕe naraka dustare.

[Those who convert the fruits of their deeds are like tradespeople. We call such people greedy, who perform actions in expectation of good reactions. Certainly these people will go to hell again and again.]

He further said:

Ámi yáhá karma kari phalákáuṋkśii nai,
Samarpań kari sarva Iishvarera t́háiṋ.

Now, those who advocate the supremacy of the doctrine of action should remember that only the performance of good deeds is not enough: one will have to be ready to undergo the reactions of good actions. After undergoing the reactions one will again have to come down on earth. And one will not always do only good deeds: bad deeds may also be performed. So one has to keep grinding along the cycle of actions and reactions, which seems to have no end. Yudhiśt́hir once said, “When I perform some deed, I do not expect any result: I surrender everything to Parama Puruśa.” That is, “I perform the deeds but I do not expect the results thereof – I immediately surrender the results of my actions. I am prepared to undergo the bad reactions of my bad deeds, but I do not wish to enjoy the good fruits of my good deeds: I offer those to Parama Puruśa.”

Now, who can say such things? Only those who have strong devotion to the Lord. Such people love Parama Puruśa more than they love themselves. They are the true bhaktas or devotees, not the karmiis or people of action. “Keep on doing actions without expecting any results” – it is futile to say this to a karmii. This should be spoken only to one who is established in devotion.

There are some people who say, “Well, we will undergo hardship for the welfare of the world.” This undergoing of penance has also a bright side. A ninety or one-hundred-year-old woman undertakes penance – why? Certainly with the expectation that her penance will one day be rewarded – perhaps that she will get a place in heaven. Let us see how important this undertaking of penance is – whether it is for one’s family, or for one’s personal elevation, or for the benefit of the society. Nothing in this world is valueless: even the undertaking of hardship is not useless. But is that the highest excellence in human life? In fact, the undertaking of penance is an action without any fixed goal: “I do not know, nor do I want to know, why I am subjecting myself to penance. I am merely doing penance for the sake of penance.” This is totally meaningless. It is like rowing a boat without knowing where one is drifting – merely rowing for the sake of rowing. This is utterly useless. This aimless rowing will simply cause pain in the hands. One day one will lose the capacity to row the boat, and finally the boat will sink and all will be drowned.

One should undergo penance for others’ welfare, for the well-being of the world; and the good that the world enjoys due to one’s sacrifice is the reward. One should not expect any reward greater than this. The good result of a good action is the reward of that action. Similarly the bad result of a bad deed is the negative price of that action. The ancient sages used to practice penance by sitting near a firepit with their legs up and their hands down. What value does this type of penance have? Not much. To continue to perform penance like this is certainly not the highest fulfilment of life. Human beings have come onto this earth to do something good, some thing which will be of some benefit for the society for at least some period of time, if not forever. This is the reason why Vivekananda said, “As you have come to the world, you must leave some mark behind” That is, you must do something which will do good to human society for a long period, if not forever.

There are some other people who exhort others by saying, “Success in human life lies in God-realization, and you should do ásanas and práńáyáma and other practices. When your mind and its psychic propensities will be completely suspended, you will realize Parama Puruśa.” This is called hat́ha yoga. Ha is the acoustic root of sun or fire, and t́ha is the acoustic root of moon or calmness. Now when these two opposing flows, ha and t́ha – one is the actional flow, and the other is the cessation of the actional flow, the idá and the piuṋgalá – are forcibly made to become one, this is called hat́ha yoga. Thus when something which was not expected is done suddenly or forcibly, we use the expression hat́hát.

Many people criticize this path of hat́ha yoga because, they say, the practices of ásanas, práńáyáma, etc. are not very congenial for spiritual progress. In fact, the defects of this system are as follows; first such yogiis cannot render any useful service to the world, for they have to keep themselves engaged in these practices for twenty-four hours a day. But human beings have to do so many things in life, not only the practices of ásanas, práńáyáma, etc. They must learn many things and teach many things to others. Instead of doing that, if some people spend a major portion of their days practising práńáyáma, how will they find time for setting an example for others?

Yes, práńáyáma has its necessity – a limited necessity; but any rigorous practice should be done for the welfare of others, otherwise what is the benefit of such practices with one’s legs up and head down, sitting beside a firepit? Unnecessarily the practitioners subject themselves to physical torture. People understand the utility of austerity when they realize that the world of living beings was created by our Lord, and if we serve His world, how pleased He will be! If I undergo penance while rendering service to the society, there is no selfishness in this because the austerity is no longer a penance – it becomes a source of joy. Hence those who undergo penance for the sake of penance are greatly mistaken.

The same applies to Yoga. If yoga is treated as a means of realizing Parama Puruśa and not as a type of hat́há yoga, then this is the real yoga. Otherwise if one practices práńáyáma for a long portion of the day, then one’s coming onto this earth becomes meaningless. Many people suspend their vital energy by means of hat́há yogic practices. Others wrongly think that since such people can suspend their life-force, they must be great personalities – mahápuruśas. Such a notion is wholly defective. Through regular practice, one’s life-force can be suspended, but that does not prove one’s greatness. One can survive for long without food; there are some specific techniques for that; but most people in the world do not know those methods, If those who know the methods are called mahápuruśas, this is not correct.

There is a particular system of yoga called káyakalpa yoga in which the practitioner can suspend the activities of different parts of the body from within and yet survive five to ten years by drawing vital energy from the air. Of course, in that state one cannot do any physical work, because the motor organs of the body remain temporarily inactive – their activities remain suspended. Previously this system of káyakalpa yoga was a recognized system of medical treatment within the scope of hat́ha yoga. Today, people have forgotten this system of treatment. If any teacher will train others in this method, then others can learn it.

But what is the benefit? If people through kayakalpa yoga keep their limbs inactive for thirty long years out of their life span of eighty years, at the age of eighty when their limbs become active, their bodies will be like those of a fifty year old man for virtually they are fifty years old. But they spent thirty years in that state of suspension – so what is the benefit? Had they remained active for those thirty years, they could have done much work; but they spent those years in total inaction. This is completely meaningless. Theoretically they are eighty years old, but practically they lived only for fifty years – the remaining thirty years they spent in a state of hibernation. What is the benefit of a life of hibernation like that of frogs and snakes which suspend all activities during winter? There is absolutely no benefit. Instead, that long period of time could be better spent in some useful service.

The practice of yoga should be such that it will bring people in contact with the Lord. Yoga practitioners should practice those processes that lead to the different stages of yoga: sálokya, sámiipya, sáyujya, sárśt́hi, kaevalya, etc. That is good both for the society as well as for the individuals concerned. But if one does not advance spiritually and yet one practices Práńáyáma for hours together, it does good neither to the individual nor to the society. The goal of all spiritual endeavour is Parama Puruśa. So whatever we do, we must do keeping Parama Puruśa fixed before our eyes – we must not do anything forgetting Him.

There are many people who are fond of reading good books – voluminous books on philosophy, spirituality, etc. Now if one’s mind roams about in the filth of hell, what real purpose will be served by reading the scriptures? You have seen some white ants living in the pages of books of scriptures. They are always immersed in the scriptures: do they attain liberation or salvation thereby? No, certainly not. Besides, the path of knowledge is more analytic than synthetic, and often in the minds of those who follow it there is a hidden desire that other people should accept them as great scholars. Now if they cherish the internal desire that others should regard them as great scholars, their minds will become extroversial. So what is to be gained thereby? The desire for praise will go on increasing and in the process they will finally turn out to be inferior people. Any dishonest people, merely by praising them, can easily get them to perform even bad actions.

So those persons who do not possess genuine love for Parama Puruśa, who are averse to spiritual practice, who only read books and scrounge for bits of intellectual information, who go to listen to the instructions of religious teachers, cannot do any really good work in the world. And worst of all, those people, by hankering after others’ praise, become worse than ordinary people.

Moreover, there are some serious shortcomings in the path of knowledge. Knowledge resides in the brain, and the brain may develop serious diseases which will destroy all one’s knowledge. The acquiring of too much knowledge is bad, for sometimes intellectual people become mad due to the clash of conflicting ideas – their minds become unnatural. Then the society get no real service from them – they become mere liabilities to the society.

There are other persons who advise people to practice various rituals like painting sandalwood paste on their foreheads, or sitting while facing only in one particular direction. It takes a lot of time to complete these complicated rituals, and time is so valuable in human life. Besides, what is to be gained in painting sandalwood marks on the forehead if the mind wanders in the mire of hell? This is considered to be one of the paths to reach Parama Puruśa, by following certain special rules.

There are some people who think that if they simply ideate on Parama Puruśa daily for some time, then their purpose will be served. But this is not enough. Yes, when you think of Parama Puruśa for some time you will no doubt remain elevated for that period; but when you again become engrossed in your mundane duties you will again become stepped in mire. Who will save you at that time? In each and every action you will have to try to realize the Supreme Entity; then and only then will those actions not be binding. Otherwise, every action will become the cause of great bondage.

Suppose someone is sitting in a particular place, reciting his or her Iśt́a mantra silently. If the mind is engaged elsewhere, then the repetition of the Iśt́a mantra is nothing but a wastage of time. So no one should do such a type of japa or repetition; we do not recognize it as japa at all.

In order to do japa, sufficient mental strength and mental equilibrium or equipoise is required. In the midst of wordily squabbles and intrigues, the repetition of one’s Iśt́a mantra is not all possible. This is why I advise people to do kiirtana loudly some time before meditation; because after kiirtana the mind is elevated to a great extent, and in that elevated state of mind, one can easily concentrate in meditation.

Now, what should be the ideal code of conduct of a human being? The first thing is that people must maintain a balance between their mundane life and their spiritual life. And secondly, while maintaining a balance, they should attach importance to every action, considering it to be an action of Parama Puruśa. Thirdly, people should always remember that they have come onto this earth to discharge some God-given duties – that they are merely tools in the hands of the Supreme. They have come to the world to do some work for the Lord: they themselves had neither any intention nor any necessity to come to this world. The Lord has sent them for a short period to do some work for Him, and they should keep on doing that work with total disregard for praise or blame.

Nindantu niitinipuńáh yadi vá stuvantu: “If I am too concerned with those who praise or censure me, I will not find time to do my real work. As I have come to this world only for a short period, my only concern should be to keep on doing the duty the Lord has assigned to me. And while doing this allotted duty, I should remember that I belong to Parama Puruśa. I have come form Him, and I will have to return to Him – and to do that, I must complete my allotted duty.”

Now what are one’s allotted duties? The Lord has created this world, and He has been playing His divine game with His creation. One must think, “I shall help Him in His liilá (divine play); I will act in all respects like a tool in His hands. After pondering deeply, I will do only that which will please Him and make Him smile. Seeing that smile on His face, my mind will be filled with joy. Parama Puruśa is the absolute and Supreme entity for me – I have been moving, and I will keep on moving only to merge in Him one day. And that Entity who sent me into this world will also do everything necessary for me – that is His primary responsibility. I should not have the audacity to remind Him about His duties – He knows better than I do what He wants me to do. Perhaps He has been thinking about me longer than I have been thinking about myself! He is maintaining a close watch on me twenty-four hours a day, for two reasons: one, so that I should not go astray, and secondly, so that I do not fall in any trouble or difficulty.”

Some people pray to the Lord, “Oh God, give me beauty, give me success, good fortune, fame – and grant me victory over my enemies.” This type of prayer is totally unnecessary. He understands what is necessary for you – let Him do His duty. You simply keep doing your duty and say, “I will continue to do whatever duty you have assigned to me, and in the process if my energy is exhausted, please supply me with more so that I can properly do the duty which you have given me. I am ready to work for you – please get your work done through me as you think fit. I want nothing in return.”

The only goal of living beings is to attain Parama Puruśa. This singular goal should permeate the major portion of the activities of ideal human beings. You should always remember that from the moment you get up until the moment you go to sleep, Parama Puruśa is your supreme Goal. Whatever you do, you should do keeping your vision fixed on that Goal. Only to perform His allotted tasks have you come onto this earth. You should always think, “I will die while doing those tasks – even while dying I will continue to do His work.”

Chapter 5	Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 12

The subject of today’s discourse is, “Where There Is Dharma There Is Iśt́a, and Where There Is Iśt́a There Is Victory.” The mutual relationship between dharma and Iśt́a is inseparable; they co-exist side by side. Dharma without iśt́a is unthinkable, and vice versa – iśt́a without dharma is equally unimaginable. And when the relation between these two is inseparable, then dharma and iśt́a without victory is also unthinkable.

Now let us see what is dharma. Dhriyate dharma ityáhu sa eva Paramaḿ Brahma – that which sustains a living being is its dharma. The word “dharma” is derived from dhr+man suffix. What sustains a living being? Each and every object or being, irrespective of whether it is animate or inanimate, movable or immovable, has a particular characteristic, which is it special identifying mark. On the basis of this unique characteristic one can distinguish between gold and silver, between copper and iron. When this unique characteristic is absent, we can say categorically that “this is not gold, this is not silver.” Therefore, dharma is the fundamental determinate of one’s entitative existence.

In the physical world or in the world of senses, it is possible to bring about a certain degree of progress of an entity when it is identified with its inherent characteristic. For instance, cows have a particular characteristic, whereas buffaloes have a different characteristic. Similarly, there is a marked difference between the characteristics of plants and of animals; and in the plant world also there are different species of plants with different inherent characteristics. Although various plants have certain unique characteristics, they all have certain common characteristics as well; for instance, all plants are static, not dynamic. Likewise, although all animals have their differences, they too have certain common characteristics – for instance, they are all dynamic. The fundamental difference between the plant and animal worlds is this: that the former are static and the latter are dynamic. (However, plants differ from inanimate objects, although they are static like inanimate objects).

Likewise, there are various gaseous factors which have certain common characteristics, which enable us to categorize them as gases. There are certain distinctions among them as well. For instance, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen – all belong to the gaseous factor, but because of their fundamental characteristics, they differ from one another.

Thus we find that there are different stages in the evolution of creation; first inanimate matter evolved, then plants, then living creatures, and finally human beings. It may be said that since humans are living beings, why should they not be placed on a par with other creatures! It is because they are endowed with certain characteristics which are lacking in other creatures. Just as the basic difference between plants and other animate entities is that plants are static and other living beings are dynamic, similarly the fundamental difference between human beings and other living beings is that humans can follow Bhágavata Dharma while other beings cannot. Humans are aware that they have to do something extraordinary in their lives, but this awareness is lacking in other creatures.

The aspects of Bhágavata Dharma that make human beings unique are four in number: 1) Vistára or expansion, 2) rasa or flow, 3) sevá or service, 4) tadstithi or ensconcement in the Supreme. Vistára is movement along the path of expansion. Rasa means flow. Microcosms are goaded into action by a particular flow. This is why I once said that human existence is an ideological flow. If any entity’s existence goes against its ideological flow, it harms itself. Under those circumstances, people would rather commit suicide than sacrifice their ideology. You might read in history that in the case of ideological conflicts, millions of people left their countries and migrated to other lands. Millions of people leave their countries even today and, if the occasion arises, will do so in future, unless we build and ideal human society.

What is Sevá or service? Such work should be performed that will please Parama Puruśa. You know that service and commercial transactions are not one and the same. A commercial transaction is mutual: the guiding principle is to give something in exchange for something else. But service is unilateral; you are not accepting or demanding anything in exchange for your service. Human beings possess this spirit of service: it is part of their Bhágavata Dharma. They want to serve Parama Puruśa and they do not get the chance directly. So they serve the other children of the Lord, and thereby they please Him. This is the true service to Parama Puruśa.

Tadsthiti: Human beings have the tendency to merge in Parama Puruśa, for He is the only Supreme desideratum of all unit beings. Thus we find that the essential characteristics of Bhágavata Dharma are expansion, flow and service and the final goal is ensconcement in Parama Puruśa.

Everything has a limit, but human longing and thirst are unlimited. With limited objects, unlimited hunger cannot be satisfied. Through intense research and continuous culture, human beings have advanced a great deal. They have discovered through their newly-acquired knowledge, attained by research, that they need the help of an entity which itself is infinite, because their hunger is unlimited. In the entire universe, there is only one infinite Entity, and that is Parama Puruśa is called dharma. The observance of dharma is a must for all – whether one is educated or uneducated, white or black, tall or short. Those who do not follow the path of dharma, are truly foolish – they are the unlucky ones.

Ye pashyanti jaganti jantavah sádhujiivitáh
Ye punarneha jáyante sheśáh jat́haragardhaváh.

A life devoid of the pursuit of dharma is not life for a living being. Those who, even after attaining a human body, do not perform their duties like humans, or do not follow spiritual practices, are said by the scriptures to be humans by birth only – in reality they are like asses born from human mothers.

It has been rightly said, “Where there is dharma fulfilment there is iśt́a.” The word iśt́a has a number of interpretations. First, iśt́a means that which, once it is attained, brings the fulfilment of one’s long-cherished desires. Secondly, iśt́a means the dearest or most favourite object or entity. For instance, a person may have an attachment for mangoes, or blackberries, or sugar cane or money. But that which is the most favourite of all these is considered as one’s iśt́a. It may happen that a person has amassed vast riches but has no relations to feed – then he or she will not be happy.

Then what is the most favourite object? Human beings are followers of Bhágavata Dharma: this is their unique characteristic that distinguishes them from other living beings. Those who have attained human structures but are not following Bhágavata Dharma – expansion, flow, service, and salvation – should not be called human beings – it would be a travesty of the truth to call them thus. If they are mobile, there is hardly any difference between these humans and other living beings; but if they are immobile then they will be considered to belong to the category of plants. By no means do they deserve to be called humans, because the greatest characteristic of humans is their Bhágavata Dharma. If the colour of gold is black, then it is no longer gold, because it has lost the characteristic of gold. Likewise, if human beings do not follow their dharma, then they hardly deserve to be called humans. Dhriyate dharma ityáhuh.

The word “dharma” has another interpretation which is complementary to the previous one:

Sukhaḿ váiṋchati sarvo hi tasmáddharma samudbhútam
Tasmáddharma sadákárya sarvarńaeh prayatnatah.

[Everyone desires happiness: that is the innate characteristic of all living beings. Such a quality should always be cultivated carefully by each and every living entity.]

There is a basic difference between eśańá [longing] and icchá [desire]. Icchá means “desire” or “intention”, whereas eśańá or “longing” presupposes an active endeavour to fulfil that desire. In each and every living being there is the innate desire for happiness, and there is an active effort to fulfil that desire as well. In their search for happiness, human beings discovered that the entire property of this universe will never be able to satisfy their psychic hunger. With unsatiated hearts they kept on repeating, “My hunger is not yet satisfied, my thirst is yet unquenched.”

Thus in the process of this constant search for happiness, one finally attains that Entity who is the most beloved of all and that entity is one’s iśt́a. With the acquisition of money, people still feel that they have nothing; in spite of possessing a huge amount of money they often beat their chests in despair. So it is not money they seek – what they truly desire is peace, not happiness. But it is only rarely that people attain peace in life.

Iśt́a means Parama Puruśa but why is He called Iśt́a? The answer is that by attaining Parama Puruśa one no longer has any unsatiated hunger or unquenched thirst. He is so vast that the human mind can never fully grasp Him. And if there is no emptiness in the mind, how can anyone feel hunger or thirst?

So there are two meaning for the word iśt́a: first, the one whose realization fills the mind, thus removing all psychic dissatisfactions; and secondly, the most beloved of all entities. When the mind attains its most coveted object, it becomes filled; and thus in the last analysis both the above-mentioned meanings are virtually one and the same. I once told you that if Parama Puruśa ever comes to you and asks you, “What do you want? I will give you whatever you want” – you should answer, “Oh Lord, you can befool others, but not me. Besides You, whatever there is in this universe is all finite and limited. These entities will never be able to till or satisfy my mind, so what shall I do with them? Thus I do not ask anything of You except You Yourself.”

If Parama Puruśa wants to give you something you should say, “Oh Lord, many thanks, but I want nothing from you. If you really want to give me something, give Yourself to me. I do not want to fill my mind with mundane objects.” Thus Parama Puruśa alone is the iśt́a; and where there is dharma there is iśt́a and where there is iśt́a there is dharma. So dharma and iśt́a can never remain separate. Water and fish cannot exist separately; if fish are forcibly separated from water they will die. Likewise, Iśt́a also cannot be separated from dharma; and thus no one can proclaim that such-and-such dharma is atheistic because it does not accept the existence of the Supreme Entity. If one accepts dharma it means that one has accepted Iśt́a, and if one accepts Iśt́a it means that one has accepted dharma. Some people hypocritically assert that Mr. So-and-so does not believe in dharma. This is only an external show; internally he accepts dharma and thus he accepts Iśt́a also. It is sheer duplicity to speak thus, which is unbecoming and degrading for human beings.

Falsehood is the noumenal cause of all phenomenal crimes. Those who lie are hypocrites and cheats. All crimes and sins are embedded in falsehood. If a thief stops telling lies, then will any theft be possible? No, certainly not. According to the wise people, a thief must be free from two defects – but I want to add one more: 1) a thief should not stay awake during the day – a thief should sleep during the day and stay awake at night. 2) A thief must not speak the truth. Suppose the thief is caught red-handed and the police ask, “Have you committed this theft?” If he is truthful he will straightaway admit his crime. So you see, to speak the truth is a grave defect in a thief. And the third defect is that a thief is that a thief should never cough, because if he does the inmates of the house from which he is stealing will wake up and he will be caught.

Where there is dharma there is Iśt́a; the two are inseparably connected, and thus those who follow dharma are sure to follow Iśt́a also. Dharma cannot exist where there is no love for God. There are some people who say, “We do practice yoga but we are atheists.” This is impossible. Those who speak thus are not true yogis. Where there is dharma there is bound to be Iśt́a, and Iśt́a means Parama Puruśa. He is the soul of all souls, the greater “I” of all microcosms. In each and every human being, two “I’s” are hidden – the smaller “I” and the greater “I”. The small “I” is the various microcosms such as Ram, Shyam, Tom, Dick, Harry, etc.; but for all the greater “I” is one – Parama Puruśa. All the conflicts and struggles among the microcosms are all centered around their small “I’s”.

“Where there is Iśt́a there is victory.” Human beings are very frail and weak: they gather their vital energy from food, drink and air, and with that vital energy they keep on working in the external world. Their little brains which they have received due to the grace of Parama Puruśa are the physical base of the human intellect and power of contemplation, and with these they perform all their activities. But the power of their tiny brains is extremely limited, and their capacity of contemplation is also limited. The two functions of the mind, thinking and memory, are also very limited, because they depend on these limited human brains.

Now if these weak human beings can establish a relationship with Parama Puruśa – saḿyogo yoga ityuktah jiivátma paramátmanah – then they remain no longer weak. Take the case of a lake. If it is connected with an ocean then it is no longer a lake: it becomes part of the ocean, and all the qualities of the ocean also accrue to it. Its water will become as salty as sea water, and even the surging waves of the ocean will also crash on its shores. Then can we still call it a mere lake? Certainly not. In the same way, human beings are no doubt very ordinary and weak creatures, but if they connect themselves with Parama Puruśa then they no longer remain helpless, they become one with Him. If they constantly ideate on Him, if they always sing His glories and become engrossed in His ideation then they no longer remain ordinary mortals. Then they will achieve success in whatever task they undertake. But that success, that victory does not belong to them – it belongs to dharma, to Iśt́a. If the most powerful emperor of this sea-girt earth dares to fight against dharma, even a handful of gold in his hands will turn to a handful of dust, and he will meet with miserable defeat. This is the inexorable law of dharma. Thus I have said, “Where there is dharma there is Iśt́a, and where there is Iśt́a there is victory” You should always bear in mind that victory does not mean the victory of weak human beings – it means the victory of dharma, the victory of Iśt́a. Intelligent people who move firmly along the path of dharma and sit on the lap of Iśt́a are destined to be victorious. In this case also victory does not belong to such people – victory belongs to Iśt́a.

You are all intelligent boys and girls – you should fully understand this truth, and remember that whatever the scriptures you might have read, the most important thing is sharańágati, taking shelter in the Lord. Just as the little child seeks safe shelter on the mother’s lap, similarly each and every microcosm, each and every devotee finds a safe haven on the lap of Parama Puruśa, and thus they are crowned with victory. This is the supreme truth. May you all be blessed.

Chapter 6	Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 12

The subject of today’s discourse is, “The Secret of Dharma Lies Hidden in the Mind”. Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyám. That is, the real essence of dharma lies in one’s existential “I” feeling.

Dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyám: there are four words in this sentence. First of all, let us discuss the actual significance of the sentence Dhriyate dharma ityáhuh sa eva paramaḿ prabhu, or “that which sustains the unit beings or maintains their existence is called dharma.” The word “dharma” is derived from the root verb dhr + man suffix. Whether they are animate or inanimate, matter or abstract, all objects of the universe are distinguished by certain special characteristics; and by observing these characteristics we can determine the identity of these objects. By studying the properties of oxygen, we decide that it is oxygen and not any other substance. Similarly, by observing their properties we can determine the existence of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, etc.

Furthermore, when there is any change in the properties of objects, there is a corresponding change in their name and form as well. Take the case of milk. If its colour is black, we cannot accept it to be milk because the actual colour of milk is white. Here a marked change in the colour of the milk has taken place.

Again, take the case of sugar. When sugar tastes sweet and someone declares it to be sugar, we immediately admit this is the fact. But if the same substance tastes bitter, we refuse to accept it as sugar. If a tree is known by its fruits (brkśah phalena pariciiyate), an object is know by its inherent property (vastuh guńena pariciiyate).

In Saḿskrta, the literal meaning of guńa is “binding rope”, a rope which fastens objects together. Another meaning of guńa is dharma or inherent property or characteristic. For instance, the property of water is to wet and the property of fire is to burn. Now if fire is divested of its inherent property – the capacity of burning, it ceases to be fire.

In the same way, trees and plants have certain fundamental characteristics, and due to differences in these characteristics, there are differences between one plant and another, between one animal and another – differences among the various species of animals and plants. By observing the differences among animals, we can conclude that this is a monkey, that is a cow or a buffalo, etc. Cows may be black, no doubt, but not as black as buffaloes. Other creatures also have eyes and ears, no doubt, but the eyes and ears of human beings are not like those of animals.

There are various common characteristics between human beings and other non-human creatures. For instance, like human beings non-human creatures also eat and drink, rest and sleep, and finally depart one day from the earth. This fundamental property of animals is present both in human beings and animals; but there is a basic difference between them. Human beings possess one unique characteristic which is lacking in animals – the capacity to follow Bhágavata Dharma.

Bhágavata dharma means to search for Parama Puruśa, to run after Him. Even if Parama Puruśa says, “Oh humans, I do not want you!” – still the human beings must say, “Oh Lord, you may not want us, but we want You, we need You, we want You.” This is the spirit of Bhágavata Dharma. This is the special characteristic of human beings, which is conspicuously absent in non-human creatures. Now those who, even after having attained a human frame, do not follow this Bhágavata Dharma, do not deserve to be called humans, for the real identity of human beings lies in their observance of Bhágavata Dharma.

Now let us discuss dharmasya tattvam. What is tattva? Tat means “that”, in neuter gender. By adding the suffix tva the abstract noun is formed. For example bitter + ness = bitterness – an abstract noun. Or in Bengali, manda + tva = mandatva (badness), an abstract noun. Likewise, tat + tva = tattva. Dharmasysa tattvam means “the essence of dharma.”

Let us discuss “the essence” of something. In the case of plants, we notice that their roots lie underground, through which the trees and plants draw moisture and preserve their existence. The roots are like the trees’ legs, they are called pádapa, “that which drinks through its legs.”

But in the case of dharma, where do its roots lie? If we can know where the roots are, then we can pour water there and the base will become solid. But if we cannot find the roots of dharma, then we will not be able to give water in the proper place; and for lack of irrigation, the plant will wither. So it is essential to know where the roots of dharma lie.

It has been said that dharmasya tattvaḿ nihitaḿ guháyám. Nihitaḿ means “lying covert.” Guháyám means “in guha”. Here the word guhá has two meanings: first, a cave in a hill or mountain where the munis and rśis (sages) used to practice penance; and secondly one’s existential “I” feeling. All the living beings of the universe have their individual “I” feelings. Those creatures which are undeveloped do not have developed “I” feelings: their “I” feeling remains dormant and they are mostly guided by their instincts. Developed creatures, on the other hand, although guided to some extent by instinct, are mostly guided by intellect. The more undeveloped a creature is, the more it is dominated by its instinct which is nothing but the inborn saḿskáras. Young snakes need not be taught how to bite – they learn to do so by their inborn instinct. A scorpion knows how to sting instinctively. Similarly, the humans have the inborn instinctive qualities of love affection and social behaviour. Those who lack love and compassion, sympathy and fellow-feeling, can hardly be called human beings, because the instinctive impulses of humans are lacking in them.

The more developed the living beings are, the more they are guided by their intellect, because their “I” feeling and their spiritual awareness are more developed. Take the case of fish. In the evolutionary ladder, fish are somewhat developed. But there are some fish which do not even recognize their own offsprings, and devour own children. Snakes have some existential “I” feeling, but in them, too, it is undeveloped, for snakes also eat their own eggs.

The feeling of “I am” or “I exist” is present in very living being, and in this existential “I” feeling the essence of dharma is lying hidden. So you need not go to Kashii (Benaras, the holy city of the Hindus) or Kaaba (the holy shrine of the Muslims): the Supreme Entity lies hidden right within your own mind, your own “I” feeling. You need not search for Him outside, but within. The practice of Ananda Marga has been formulated to enable spiritual aspirants to search for the Supreme within their minds. Thus you must seek, and if you seek you shall find.

The scriptures clearly mention how Parama Puruśa lies hidden in the existential “I” feeling of microcosms:

Tileśu taelaḿ dadhiniiva sarpi rápah srotahsvara ńiśu cágnih
Evamátmani grhyate’sao satyenaenáḿ tapasá yo’nupashyati.

There is oil in the sesame seed, but if you cut the seeds you cannot find it. You must crush them in the mill and then you will find the oil. There is certainly butter in milk, but you must churn the milk vigorously to get it. At the end of summer, the water dries up from the rivers: You see only sand everywhere. But if you take the trouble to dig in the sands, you will find a fountain of sweet and pure water within. Fire lies hidden in a flintstone; if you rub two pieces of flint together, the fire will spark. Similarly, if you enkindle the fire of knowledge through truth and penance, you will clearly realize that Parama Puruśa is lying hidden within your own existential “I” feeling.

Now, if people, instead of searching for Him in their own “I” feeling, roam about in the external world, they will certainly meet with disappointment: they will have to undergo unnecessary troubles and frustrations, and Parama Puruśa will remain unrealized.

Átmanasthiitaḿ shivaḿ tyaktvá vahiśt́haḿ yah samarcayet
Hastasthaḿ pińd́am utsrjya bhramate jiivitáshayá.

How unreasonable it is to search externally for the Supreme Entity instead of searching within! It is like throwing away the foodstuff in one’s own hand, and then complaining of hunger and begging for alms from door to door. On the one hand Parama Puruśa is very vast; on the other hand He is very small. He is so vast that you cannot fully see Him. In Saḿskrta, there are a few words to describe something very vast: vishála, virát́a, brhat, etc. Out of these, the words virát́a and brhat are used to describe an entity which is immeasurably vast, and vishála is used for an entity which may be vast, but can be measured. For instance, the Himalayan mountains are very vast in size, but still they can be measured in terms of miles, from south to north and from east to west. In the scriptures it has been said.

Brhacca taddivyam acintyarúpaḿ
Sukśmácca súkśmataraḿ vibháti
Durát sudúre tadihántike ca
Pashyatsvihaeva nihitaḿ guháyám.

Parama Puruśa is extremely vast: then how can you see such a vast Entity with your dim vision? It is impossible. And besides seeing such a divine effulgence, your eyes will be blinded; your vision will be completely lost.

Súkśmacca tat súksmataraḿ vibhati: Parama Puruśa is not only vast. He is small as well – so small, so subtle that you cannot see Him with your physical eyes. Human ocular power is extremely limited: if an object is very vast it cannot be seen, and if it is very small and subtle it cannot be seen either.

Dúrát sudúŕe: If a person thinks, “I am mean, I am degraded, I am a cursed creature, I am far from Parama Puruśa” – such thinking is highly irrational and defective. In the tenth mańd́ala of the Rg Veda, it is said,

Puruśa evedaḿ sarvaḿ yadbhútaḿ yacca bhavyam;
Utámrtatvasyesháno yadannenátirohati.⁽¹⁾

This Parama Puruśa knows all the three phases of time: the past, the present and the future. Nothing is beyond the periphery of His supramundane knowledge. Suppose you are thinking internally, “Let me quickly finish my meditation, for I have some important work to attend to. Tomorrow I will devote more time to meditation.” The moment you think thus, Parama Puruśa immediately knows your thought. Suppose you eat something on the fasting day of Ekádashii, thinking that perhaps Parama Puruśa will not know it. Certainly He will know about your secret eating, and He feels amused at what His little child is thinking. Not only the boys – the girls also make the same mistake. Perhaps on fasting day they eat chocolates and think, “I am eating secretly – no one can see it.” This is defective thinking, because Parama Puruśa knows everything – nothing is hidden from Him.

This is why in the spiritual world, the most important thing is sharańágati-taking shelter in the Supreme Entity. How can you deal with an Entity who knows all about you? What you can only do is to totally surrender to Him. Nivedayámi cátmánaḿ tvaḿ gatih Parameshvara – “Oh Lord, what can I offer unto You? I can only offer my existential ‘I’ feeling. Please take it.”

Utáḿrtatvasyesháno yadannenátirohati: it has been said earlier that mean-minded people often think, “I am a sinner, and Parama Puruśa is far from me.” Such persons should bear in mind that the tiniest creature in hell, or the greatest entity of heaven, are both equal for Parama Puruśa – He is the Lord of both. If the Supreme Entity says, “I am only for the saints of heaven, and I have nothing to do with the creatures of hell”, it should be said that as saints do not go to hell and as He has no love for the creatures of hell, then He is not omnipresent. In that case Parama Puruśa is certainly not brhat or virát́a. He is something less than that. Thus in order to maintain His prestige He will have to remain with the creatures of hell also.

That is why no one should ever think internally, “I am a sinner, Parama Puruśa hates me, He is far away from me.” The fact is that Parama Puruśa is always with you, very close to you – not at all separate from you. While walking on the road, if your clothes are soiled with dirt, He will never hate you and keep you away from Him. This is the essence of dharma.

Dúrát sudúre: If someone continually thinks, “Parama Puruśa is far from me”, then He will seem to be truly far from him. What is the fundamental difference between dúre and sudúre? When the distance between two objects can be measured, it is called dúre, but when the distance cannot be measured, it is called sudúre. If in their ignorance people think that Parama Puruśa is far from them, then He may indeed remain for from them – so far that in future, even if one cries oneself hoarse, one’s cries will never reach Him.

Tadihántike ca: some people think, “No, Parama Puruśa is not far from me. He is quite near. He is everywhere.” In Saḿskrta, iha means “here.” But even if you say iha or “near,” there remains a slight gap. To those who perpetually think that Parama Puruśa is very, very near to them, He becomes so close that nothing closer can even be imagined. In such a circumstance, people realize that pashyatsvihaeva nihitaḿ guháyám: those who have the vision to see, realize that He is not in the east or the west, in the north or the south, but He is lying hidden in the innermost cavity of their minds, in their own existential “I” feelings. Hence no one should wander about searching for Him in the external world.

Make your existential “I” feeling pure and holy: if you purify your mind through virtuous deeds, through meditation and contemplation, and through kiirtana, you will be able to realize Him. Even though people might have committed certain misdeeds in the past, they need not worry, for after all, “to err is human.” They should not look back and lament over their past mistakes. The Supreme Consciousness has given human beings eyes in front so that they can look ahead, not behind. You need not waste your time unnecessarily worrying about your past mistakes: you must move ahead, and while moving forward, you will have to come within His shelter. This sharańágati or taking shelter in Him, is the most important aspect of dharma. When I advise you to do virtuous deeds, I mean performing actions like meditation, singing the glories of the Lord, and dancing in joy while chanting His holy name. You should also live your worldly life joyfully.

The Supreme Entity is so close to you that you can hardly measure the gap between you and Him. And thus it is useless to repent for one’s past omissions and commissions. Those who are firm and strong-willed are never frightened because of their past sins. They live fearlessly, and never become perturbed, even in hostile environments. In this regard the scriptures say,

Api cet sudurácáro Bhajate mámananyabhák
So’pi pápavinirmuktah mucyate bhávavandhanát.

Those who indulge in evil deeds, and in whose very contact others become involved in evil, are called dúrácárii. And those who are hated even by the durácáriis are called sudurácárii. “When even such sudurácariis take shelter in Me with all their hearts and minds, so’pi pápavinirmuktah – I liberate them from the bondages of their sins. They attain liberation from the bondages of birth and rebirth”. Thus even those who have committed sins in the past need not worry. Just come in the safe shelter of Parama Puruśa, and your mission will be fulfilled. He is always with you – Only move forward fearlessly with unfaltering steps towards your Goal. May you all be blessed.

Footnotes

(1) Rgveda Puruśasúktam. –Trans.

Chapter 7	Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 12

The subject of today’s discourse is “Puruśa”. Let us first see what is the derivation of the word Puruśa. One interpretation of the word is Pure shete yah sah Puruśah, “the Entity which lies covert in the microcosmic structure is Puruśa or the Cognitive Principle.” And the second interpretation is Puraśi shete yah sah Puruśah. Now, what is pura? In Saḿskrta pura means a place where people live together, where there are many dwellings. In the Hindi language that type of place is known as haveli.

The physical structure of the microcosms has some limitations. The Entity which lies covert in this physical structure is called Puruśa. Puraśi means “in front”, shete means “lies covert.” Now, in both these interpretations of the word, Puruśa means the Cognitive Faculty. But if this Puruśa is the Cognitive Faculty and if He remains as the knowing or witnessing Entity, then how can this universe be created? By whom will the actional flow of creation, preservation and destruction in the universe be brought about? In Saḿkhya philosophy the word Janya-Iishvara has been used for this Entity; but the Puruśa of our discussion is not that Entity. Then what is the Cognitive Faculty in reality?

If we study the annals of ancient history we notice that after the first sprouting of human civilization, the first person who developed philosophy was Maharśi Kapila, about 3500 years ago. But Maharśi Kapila’s interpretation regarding Puruśa as the Cognitive Faculty was not very clear, because he believed in the doctrine of the plurality of Puruśas. According to him, there are as many Puruśas as there are átmans (souls), and thus in each and every unit consciousness there is a Puruśa or Cognitive Faculty. Then what is the difference between the Janya Iishvara as described by Maharśi Kapila and the other Puruśas? This question remained unanswered. In the Puruśasúkta of the Rgveda it is said:

Sahasrashiirśá Puruśah sahasrákśah sahasrapát;
Sa bhúmiḿ vishvato vrtvá’tyatiśt́haddasháuṋgulam.⁽¹⁾

This Puruśa is not only the Cognitive faculty, it is something more than that. In the “Ánanda Sútram” it has been said, Puruśa akartá phalasákśiibhútah bhávakendrastitah guńayantrakashca. Let us analyse this particular sútra more deeply. Is Puruśa only the Cognitive Entity or is He something more than that? Here it is said, Puruśa akartá – the one who is not kartá is akartá; kartá means one who is engaged in some action or activity. Action means the relative change in the position of an object. In Saḿskrta the root verb kr is used in this sense. Suppose there is a book somewhere; if we remove it and put it another place, that is, if we change its position, then we have performed some action. Thus the relative change of place of any entity is termed as kryá or action. But Puruśa is akartá – he does not do any action by himself.

In this universe there is always a change of place of different objects; but Puruśa has no role in this change. He does not do anything Himself; Prakrti, the Supreme Operative Principle, does everything according to His dictates. Thus he is the creator, the maintainer, and the destroyer, all in one. But still he is akartá, for He does not play any direct role in creating, preserving and destroying; according to His will Prakrti performs all those duties. Prakrti does not do anything according to her own will – she must act according to the direction of Puruśa.

Phalasákśiibhútah: When I first wrote Ánanda Sútram, the word was kryásákśiibhútah. Later I replaced the word kriyá by another word, phala: because although Puruśa does not do anything by Himself, there is no doubt that He is the Witnessing Entity. Hence it is more appropriate to refer to Him as phalasákśiibhútah rather than kriyásákśiibhútah.

What is phala or “fruit?” If the first stage of an action, which we can consider as the crest of the wave, is accepted as the original action, then the next stage, which is the trough of the wave, should be termed as the “fruit” or result of the action. That is, the original action is the first stage, then the result will be the final stage. The Entity who is Witness of the final stage and according to whose will the action is performed, is the Puruśa.

This kaleidoscopic vibrational expression of the Macrocosm is what we call the creation (srśt́i). The stage of the maintenance of that creation is called stitih, and the final stage of its dissolution is termed as laya. All these three – the creation of the universe, its maintenance, and its dissolution – are all of macro-psychic nature. If you consider the Puruśa of this vast creation to be only the Cognitive Faculty, that will be incorrect, because in that case the field of macrocosmic activity becomes greatly limited. Thus Parama Puruśa is not merely Cognition: he is something more than that as well; and the totality of Puruśa as creator plus Puruśa as Witnessing Entity constitutes the Macrocosmic ectoplasmic scope. The original form of this Macrocosmic ectoplasm is philosophically termed as bháva.

Shuddhasattá visheśátmá premasúryáungsu sámyabhák
Rucibhishcittamásrńya kridasao bháva ucyate.

Out of this Macrocosmic ectoplasm, the infinite takes its expression, and out of this Macrocosmic expression which is called citta – the micropsychic structures have emerged. Puruśa is the hub or the nucleus of the ultimate cause of creation, and thus he controls the Macrocosmic ectoplasmic scope.

Although Puruśa Himself does not do all the phenomenal activities in the physical world, he gets them all performed by Prakrti. Because He is located in the Macrocosmic Nucleus, he is radiating all the vibrations directly. So how can we declare this Puruśa to be the same as the Puruśa of the Saḿkhya philosophy, and how can we say that this Puruśa is a mere Witnessing Entity or Cognitive Faculty? Rather His scope of activities is very, very vast, indeed it is infinite.

Now the question is, what other things does the macrocosmic nucleus do? In Ánanda Sútram it has been said that Puruśa is guńayantrakashca. What is guńa? When an unmanifested entity in the course of evolution, comes within the scope of limitations, it is called guńa. The collective name of the three guńas, sattva (sentient), rajas (mutative), and tamah (static) is Parama Prakrti. But although these guńas are infinite, they are undergoing constant erosion. In, this regard one particular term should be used: sa nityanivrttá. For instance, if ghee or clarified butter comes in contact with fire, the ghee gradually melts, and more and more ghee has to be poured into the fire, otherwise the fire will be extinguished. In the same way, Prakrti is constantly undergoing depletion. Why? Because due to the constant ideation of Puruśa, She is gradually merging in Puruśa. As Prakrti is infinite, although She undergoes this constant depletion, She is never totally exhausted. And when She merges into Puruśa, She becomes transformed into Puruśa. Thus Brahma is one without any second. This is a very subtle philosophical concept. Although Prakrti is infinite, yet Her infinitude is slightly impaired due to her contact with Puruśa.

Guńayantrakashca: Puruśa is the controller of the three guńas. That is, between the Cognitive Faculty and the Operative Principle there is a relation of subordinated cooperation, not coordinated cooperation. The Operative principle is bound to act according to the will of the Cognitive Faculty. Puruśa is akartá, no doubt, but how can He be said to be only the Cognitive Faculty? For this reason Puruśa is not merely the Citishakti or Cognitive Principle – he is something more than that. But it is not possible to describe this aspect of Puruśa which is beyond Cognition itself.

It has been said regarding Puruśa in the tenth mańd́ala of the Rgveda,

Sahasrashiirśá Puruśah sahasrákśah sahasrapát;
Sa bhúmiḿ vishvato vrtvá’tyatiśt́haddasháuṋgulam.

Regarding the witness-ship of Puruśa, it is unlimited. Then what is the difference between the Macrocosm and the microcosm? The microcosm is sustained by its inherent properties. We say that a certain substance is oxygen because it has a particular property. We say that another substance is fire because it has certain innate characteristics. Another substance is air because it has certain innate characteristics. Another substance is air because it has another property. All objects and living beings are characterized by their respective innate properties. If fire ceases to burn, we cannot call it fire any longer. If air stops blowing, it ceases to be called air. In Saḿskrta, there are two words, nila and niila. Niila means “blue colour,” and nila means “fixed.” If air ceases to blow, if it becomes stationary or immobile, it is nila, it no longer remains anila [[“air”, derived a, “not”, plus nila, “fixed”]]. Thus all the entities, organic or inorganic, animate or inanimate, living or non-living, are distinguished by their innate characteristics.

What is the Cognitive faculty in the case of the microcosm? It is the crude individual form of the Macrocosm. Thus whatever quality or essence lies in Parama Puruśa is equally present in the five fundamental factors; in this way human beings and other creatures evolved in the quinquelemental world, within which the Witnessing Entity continues to function. Something cannot emerge from nothing. Thus the infinite capacity of Parama Puruśa has been transferred in a limited way to each microcosm. Only a microscopic fraction of the infinite Cognitive Faculty of Parama Puruśa has been transferred to the microcosms, and that is why their individual consciousness is limited. Moreover, all the microcosms existing within the vast Macrocosmic Mind are functioning within a very limited fraction of the infinite cognitive power. Thus the description of Puruśa in the Puruśa Súkta of the Rg Veda is justified.

This Puruśa possesses infinite knowledge: He knows the inner essence of every mind of all living beings. Even the most hidden thoughts of an individual are known to Him, for the thinking power of all creatures comes from Him, and without His energy they cannot think anything, even for a single moment. Whenever human beings think something, He immediately knows it. Thinking is actually like talking within: that inner vibration of mind is immediately caught by Parama Puruśa. Not only one’s thoughts, but all the inferences you perceive – sound, touch, form, taste and smell – and whatever actions you perform, are immediately known by Him. Without vibration, no sensation can be perceived and on action can be performed; and all these vibrations are within His infinite body. Everything in this universe is vibrational, and all the vibrations first emanate from Him and finally merge in Him. Thus He comes to know of everything – and without having any Intelligence Agency to inform Him!

Whenever someone says something in the external world, there are some preliminary vibrations in the mind. Human beings see external objects with their eyes, but if one deeply analyses the matter, one will realize that no one really sees anything. What is actually happening is that a vibration is arising in the optical nerves which vibrates the mind, and then people think that they are seeing a certain object. But human beings have only two physical eyes, whereas Parama Puruśa has countless eyes.

Sahasrapát: Each and every microcosm is bound by spatial, temporal and personal bondages. Thus people have to make a special effort to move from one place to another. Moreover, they have to struggle against temporal bondages also. While moving forward, they have to struggle against the gravitation of the earth. Due to these spatial bondages, people suffer from various limitations. (In all these situations, the mind remains the witness. All objects and actions emanate vibrations, which are perceived by the human mind, which then forms an idea about those objects or actions. The difference between the Macrocosm and the microcosms is that the microcosms are under spatial bondage, whereas the Macrocosm is free from all bondages. Thus it is quite justifiable to use the epithet sahasrapát (“thousand-footed”) to describe Parama Puruśa.

Sah bhúmiḿ vishvato vrtvá atayatiśthatddasháuńgulam: Parama Puruśa is not only the Cognitive faculty, He is more than that. He exits not only in the manifested world, but in the unmanifested world as well. Here, the “manifested world” means that part of the Creation which is vibrated by the three guńas or binding principles; but the remaining portion of the creation which is not vibrated by the guńas is also within His mind. Thus Parama Puruśa is equally present both in the manifested and unmanifested worlds. Philosophy is completely silent regarding the presence of Parama Puruśa in the unmanifested world: it is only able to comment on Parama Puruśa in the manifested world. So if philosophy says that He is only the Cognitive Faculty, that applies only to the manifested world, not to the unmanifested one. Thus it is mere foolishness to consider Parama Puruśa [[to be only the Cognitive Faculty. One will have]] to bear in mind that He is not at all limited to the periphery of the quinquelemental world.

Puruśa evedaḿ sarvaḿ yadbhútaḿ yacca bhavyam. He is no doubt the Cognitive faculty: He knows whatever has been created, and He will know what will be created in the future. He formulates the penal code in order to make people aware to make them conscious. If he gives a little punishment or scolding to human beings, it is only for their welfare. Thus He should do so – and He does.

Yadbhútaḿ: Whatever lies in the future, He knows it all, and accordingly He takes action. The entire living world is very dear to Him. Thus He always cautions people, “Oh human beings, be careful, otherwise you will be in danger”. So what has been said in Ánanda Sútram in this regard is quite logical.

Utámrtatvasyesháno: Parama Puruśa is not merely the Cognitive Faculty, He is also Iishvra, which means “Controller.” It is not enough just to create something – one will have to control it also. Parama Puruśa is that Controller. Just as He gets this manifested universe of seven layers or lokas – bhu, bhuvah, svah, mahah, janah, tapah, satya – created by Prakrti, He gets it controlled by Prakrti also. The movement of human beings towards the world of immortality is controlled by Parama Puruśa. Human beings will have to move along the path which leads to this immortal realm, not along the sinful path which leads toward worldly objects. The seven lower realms of crudity – the seven “hells” – are tala, atala, talátala, vitala, pátála, atipátála and rasátala.

The negative movement towards crudity is also within the control of Parama Puruśa. Whenever a person sinks to the nadir point of degradation, we often say, “Such-and-such a person has gone to rasátala… to hell.” Whenever people become crude and are immersed in wrong actions which are contrary to the spiritual code, they become totally inert. In utter defiance of the moral code, they involve themselves in many vicious activities, goaded by the lure of power, position, prestige, name and fame, and monetary gain, and thus they invariably move toward rasátala, the lowest “hell”, the most degraded state. Such people, instead of moving towards the abode of nectar, move towards degradation. But the controller of this path, too, is the same Parama Puruśa: the same Entity who controls the higher seven realms, controls the seven lower realms as well.

Utámrtatvasyesháno: If a person is degraded due to sinful deeds, performed consciously or unconsciously, and is born as an insect in hell, in that case, will Parama Puruśa forget him or her? No, not at all. The living entity who suffers in hell is also a creation of Parama Puruśa, and He will do whatever is necessary for such a person. Thus it is said that Parama Puruśa certainly loves those who are truly honest and virtuous, but He does not hate those who are wicked or degenerated due to their misdeeds. Even for such persons Parama Puruśa is the only hope, the supreme shelter. Thus he is not a mere Witnessing Entity, He is much greater than that.

Yadanye nátirohati: There is no one who can dictate to Him. Some people may argue: sinful persons are like the most abominable insects of hell – then how can Parama Puruśa remain with them? The answer is that even the most infernal creatures are also His favourites. When people degrade themselves through wicked actions Parama Puruśa becomes sad, but He never hates them. For such degraded people, the only safe shelter is Parama Puruśa. Thus it is said that He is not merely the knowing or Cognitive Faculty. He is much more than that. In this regard it is said in the Bhagavad Giitá:

Api cet sudurácáro bhajate mámananyabhák
So’pi pápavinirmukto mucyate bhavabandhanát.

Even if those extremely wicked persons – whom even wicked people hate – worship me with undivided attention, they are liberated from all their worldly bondages, they are freed from all their sins. Thus the same Parama Puruśa is the shelter of both the virtuous and the wicked, the liberated and the bound. Whatever might be the standard or position of a person, no one should ever be anxious in any circumstances. Parama Puruśa is ever ready to help all the microcosms of the creation equally, whether they are good or bad.

Chapter 8	Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 12

The subject of today’s discourse is “The Spirit of Yoga”.

What is yoga? There are so many interpretations and so many explanations and amplifications regarding yoga. The great philosopher Patanjali says, “Yogashcittavrttinirodhah.” Nirodha means suspension of all psychic propensities. The word yoga comes from the sanskrit root verb yuj + ghaiṋ suffix. Where the root verb is yuj, here yoga means addition, two + two = four, this is addition. This interpretation has nothing to do with the meaning of the word yoga. The human mind has got fifty propensities under normal conditions, and each and every propensity has got its own vibrational existence. Due to those fifty vibrational existences, or expressions there are fifty letters in the vedic alphabetical order. From “A” the first letter to “Kśa” the last letter there are fifty letters and they are known as Akśa Málá (the garland of fifty letters), because each and every vibrational expression has got not only its acoustic value, but it has also got a special colour. That is why these fifty letters are not only known as Akśa Málá, they are also known as Varńa Málá, i.e. they are the collection of Varńas or colours. In the case of the suspension of certain propensities, there remains no acoustic expression, and there is no expression of colour or any other inference.

The root meaning of yoga is not only addition but it has got a subtler meaning as well. When the word yoga is derived from the root verb “yunj” + “ghaiṋ”, (not “yuj” but “yunj”), in that case the meaning is not addition but unification. Here we see that as per interpretation of “Yogashcittavrttinirodhah” there is neither addition nor unification. Cittavrttinirodhá means suspension of mental propensities i.e. fifty propensities under normal condition and one thousand propensities under abnormal condition. If all those propensities are suspended, what remains there? There remains no universe of acoustics, no universe of colours nor any other universe. And not only that, due to the absence of propensities, the desire, the longing to become one with something also vanishes. So this meaning is not acceptable to us. “Yogashcittavrttinirodhah” is a defective explanation or interpretation of “yoga”. A spiritual aspirant cannot accept such an interpretation.

Now some of the other yogiis say that yoga is not “Cittavrttinirodhah” but it is “Sarvacintáparityágo nishcinto yoga ucyate” i.e. where there is no thought wave (cintá) i.e. where there is no flow in the mind, the mind becomes movementless, it remains in a state of composure, that is, a state of “nishcinta”. Here also the word yoga has got nothing to do with addition or unification. Sarvacintá Parityágo nishcinto is not the real wont of mind. In this expressed or manifested universe, everything moves. The mind also moves. The mind depends on three fundamental factors, i.e., time, space, and person. So movement is its first wont.

Then how can we check its flow? Even in the expressed form of Parama Puruśa, there is movement, there is the flow of love and compassion. So when there is flow of love and compassion even in the mind of Parama Puruśa, how can there be a flowless mind in the microcosm. So this idea is defective. Due to one’s disease or senselessness, there may be thoughtlessness for a short period but that is not something natural. It is a sort of diseased state. While there is disease, while you are in disease, your mind is not associated with any internal projection. Is it yoga? Certainly not. It is said that because of this cosmic flow of love and compassion for entire creation, Parama Puruśa is Rasa personified i.e. flow personified, the eternal flow personified… “Rasah Vae Sah”. That is why it is said that His movement of love and compassion for all created beings is the Rása liilá, the Rasaságara, and every living entity, every animate and inanimate entity is dancing according to the flow of that “Rasa”, according to the vibrational expression of that Rasa. This is the Rásaliilá of Bhagaván. Then how can there be “Nishcintá” in the human mind? So this explanation of yoga by the other yogiis is also fundamentally defective. A spiritual aspirant cannot accept it. Now let us see what is the explanation of yoga by the spiritual aspirants or Bhaktas.

As per the definition by the bhaktas, “yoga” means “Saḿyoga yoga Ityuktah Jiivátmá Paramátmanah.” The unification of Jiivátmá i.e. unit consciousness with Paramátmá i.e. Parama Puruśa is yoga. Here if we take the meaning of yoga as derived from the verb yuj i.e. addition, the purpose is served. The unit becomes one with the Cosmic. And if the meaning of Yunj is accepted, the explanation is still more correct because when the aspirant becomes one with the Supreme Entity, there remains no separate identity of the unit with the Supreme Entity. One is fully unified just like sugar and water making Sharbat.

So the explanation of yoga by devotees or bhakti margiis is [[acceptable]]. The explanations by the “Seshvara Sáḿkhya” or by the other yogiis are defective. When yoga means addition or unification there must be two entities – the devotee and His Lord. In the first two explanations there remains not even a single entity. So the unification of whom, by whom, with whom, there is no clear explanation, no clear implication. Now we come to the conclusion that for proper interpretation of yoga, two fundamental entities are necessary; the devotee and his/her Lord. A yogi can never remain without his or her Lord. The psychic propensities of a yogii must not be suspended. Rather all the propensities must be goaded unto the Lord. So there is no question of suspension but there is the question of diversion. The flow must be there and we should enjoy the divine flow or Rasa. A yogii can never be nástika, he must be ástika. A nástika cannot be a yogii; simply practising a few “Ásanas” won’t make a person a yogii. Yoga means all the propensities moving towards the Supreme entity in the physical stratum, in the mental stratum and in the spiritual stratum. In all the strata the only goal of life, the only culminating point of all the marches is the Supreme Entity. When He becomes “I” and “I” becomes He, then the spirit of yoga is completely established. The desideratum, the terminating point for yogiis is their “Ista” and they move towards their Iśt́a along the path of Dharma.

What is Dharma? “Dhriyate Dharma ityukto sa eva paramah prabhuh.” The supreme controlling qualification that an entity must possess is Dharma. Dharma controls all the expressions of human life, all the expressions of the entitative waves. And for the proper movement of the entitative flows or entitative expressions, there must be a parallel wave of incantative expression. The existential movement must get its stamina from the incantative existence. And there cannot be any incantative stamina or incantative existence if there is no goal, no intro-psychic goal i.e., if there is no “Ista”. Iśt́a means the object who loves you the most. Because of this Iśt́a there is flow in your incantative form or incantative structure. Only under such circumstances can your existential emanation maintain a parallelism with your entitative structure. So, Iśt́a is a must for movement, Iśt́a is a must for all sorts of living beings in all strata of life. You can not do anything concrete in even a single arena of your life without the help of your Iśt́a. So wherever there is Dharma, there must be Iśt́a. And Iśt́a is the primordial necessity for yoga. Nobody can exist without Iśt́a. The aspirant is a finite entity, but the Iśt́a of that aspirant is an infinite entity. If you practice yoga, then your finite existence will come in contact with that infinite Iśt́a and you will acquire infinity, you will acquire the infinite spiritual stamina and you will become victorious in all the arenas of your existence. So the wise people, the true yogiis should realize it clearly and definitely that their entitative existence along with the entitative force of their Iśt́a, moves towards the Supreme goal. The yogii should know the single name of his or her Iśt́a and not two names or three names. Wherever the Iśt́a is singular entity in name, form, and idea, in ideation and also in ideology, success is sure, success is fully assured. There is a story in this regard. Once upon a time some of the devotees asked Hanuman, “Hanuman, you are a great devotee and learned scholar also, and you know that Náráyańa means Shriinátha, (Shrii means, Lakśmii) Shriinátha means Náráyańa. Shriinátha, i.e. Lakśmiinátha, Náráyańa and Jánakiinátha i.e. Ráma are the same entity; but you never take the name of Náráyańa. Why?”

Hanuman said:

“Shriináthe, Jánakiinathe Cábhedah Paramátmani
Tathápi mama Sarvasvah Rámah Kamalalocanah.”

You know fundamentally there is no difference between Náráyáńa and Ráma. Nára means Prakrti, Ayana means Shelter. Náráyańa means Shelter of Prakrti i.e. Cognitive Puruśa and Ráma, (Ram + Ghaun = Ráma) i.e. the most attractive entity of the entire cosmos is Parama Puruśa. “I also know”, said Hanuman, “that there is no fundamental difference between Ráma and Náráyańa, but you know my goal is a singular entity – singular in name, singular in idea, ideology and ideation. Ráma is my everything, I don’t know any Náráyańa.”

You are all spiritual aspirants. You are yogiis and you should know that the only interpretation of yoga is “Samyoga yoga Ityukto Jiivátmá Paramátmanah”. All other interpretations are baseless. And you should also remember that for your movement toward your Iśt́a, you have only to practise, your unification with your iśt́a is your only goal, the final desideratum of all the flows of your psychic propensities. The question of suspension of psychic propensities does not arise.

Chapter 9	Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 12

The subject of today’s discourse is, “Trio in Spiritual Progress”.

When people want to establish themselves in the grandeur of spiritual excellence, they will have before themselves the three schools of approach or avenues, and they are: 1) Non-attributional Supra-psychic Subjectivization, 2) Non-attributional Supra-psychic Actional Faculty and 3) Non-attributional Supra-psychic Pointedness.

Now let us see how one is to utilize these three avenues of progress. Regarding the first one, that is, Non-attributional Supra-psychic Subjectivization, the Shástra says: “Satyam Jiṋánamanantaḿ Brahama.” First you must know what is Shástra. “Shásanát tárayet yastu sah shástrah parikiirtitah”.

That very entity or that very personality which liberates one by persuading one to follow the code of discipline and the code of dos and don’ts is known as Shástra. Shásanát tárayet yastu. Shásana means to persuade one to follow the path of blessedness. Here you have to apply the first theory, that is, the non-attributional supra-psychic subjectivization. Why is it non-attributional? The Jiivas, the created beings, are under the bondages of different principles, of so many fetters, so the ideological goal or the culminating point of the path must be non-attributional, and at the same time must be supra-psychic. In our arena of psychic and mental movements, we are under the bondage of three principles. The path may start from the physical or psychic level but the culminating point must be supra psychic; otherwise how can one go beyond the periphery of limitation? And the entity that is beyond the periphery of limitation is what? It is the cognitive faculty and nothing else. And that is why the shástra says:

Átmajiṋánaḿ vidurjiṋánaḿ jiṋánányanyáni yánitu;
Táni jiṋánávabhásáni sárasyanaeva bodhanát.

“To know oneself is the real knowledge and all other knowledges are nothing but avabhása – the umbra and penumbra of knowledge, they are not the real knowledge.” And the shástra says:

Satyaḿ jiṋánam anantaḿ Brahma.

[Parama Puruśa, the supreme goal, is the absolute truth, and He is infinite knowledge.]

The goal of that psycho-spiritual movement or path, the culminating point of that movement, is satyam, it is jiṋánam anantam [infinite knowledge]. What is Satyam? Satyam is the recognized status of veracity, veracity when it gets a recognized status. And when veracity functions within limitations or without limitations, [[it]] is just a link between the manifest universe and the non-manifest. And jiṋánam anantaḿ Brahma? With the help of satyam one can reach the goal which is beyond the periphery of all bondages. But what is jiṋánam? Satyam is non-attributional supra-psychic subjectivization. What is subjectivization? Actually knowledge means subjectivization. When there is something within or without, and when that something is converted into your own subject, into your own self, that is called proper knowledge or pará jiṋána. And when this process of subjectivization is lacking, it is apará jiṋána. It is ajiṋána. So for the purpose of searching the supreme goal not only satya but the process of subjectivization also must be there.

Now how can one subjectivize something else just to attain Brahma? Here you will see that subjectivization takes place only where some supra-psychic entity is your supreme goal, otherwise you would not be able to subjectivize anything. Here lies the defect of the first item.

Now the second item, the second school of approach is the non-attributional supra-psychic actional faculty. It is also non-attributional because the jiivas are under so many bondages.

Pásha baddo bhavej jiivah, páshamukto bhavecchivah.

When an entity is within certain bondages, that entity is known as jiiva and when it is freed from all bondages that entity is known as Shiva. This process, that is, to free the aspirant from all bondages, must be non-attributional because the bondages are all attributional. Here also it must be supra-psychic because in the psychic realm there are bondages. So if one wants to go beyond the range of the psychic world, one’s path must be connecting something psychic with something supra-psychic. So it is the supra-psychic actional faculty. What is action! Action means a change of place. And you see when the question of place is there, certainly the question of time and person is also there. So this is not something absolute.

This comes within the range of fundamental items of relativity, of time, space and person. Wherever there is action there is relativity. Hence how can that action lead you to the Supreme Stance? Suppose, I place a bolster here – it is change of place. There is some action done. This actional faculty changes with time and spatial expressions, So it cannot establish you upon the Supreme Stance or the human goal, It is said in the Shástra:

Karma Brahmeti karma bahu kurviita

Action is Brahma. Go on doing work, more and more work, and still more work. But when work means change of place and place is something relative then how can one attain liberation with the help of karma or actional faculty, be it supra-psychic or non-attributional? But another question arises also that when karma means change of place object how can it be non-attributional? The reply is that where the goal is non-attributional, only under such circumstances the actional faculty may liberate the jiiva, otherwise not. Here lies the defect of the second item, the non-attributional supra-psychic actional faculty.

Now let us take the third item. The third item is non-attributional supra-psychic pointedness. As you know wherever there is bondage of sentient, mutative or static principle, it cannot be non-attributional. For you to attain the non-attributional status, you will have to go beyond the three fundamental binding faculties. The practice starts from the psychic realm but its goal is supra-psychic, the goal is beyond the periphery of anything psychic. Pointedness. You are starting from something attributional and trying to go beyond the range of attributionality, beyond the range of anything psychic. How is it possible? When your pointedness is towards something mundane that pointedness is not non-attributional, it is static attributional. When this pointedness is for something psychic, it is not non-attributioal, it is psychic attributional and even in the range of spirituality when the goal is something concerning unit cognition, it is not something non-attributional, it is unit cognitive attributional. So when one’s goal is beyond all attributionality, then that pointedness can liberate you from all bondages. And what is pointedness? When you are moving towards your goal, you are withdrawing all your propensities from different objectivities, and goading that collective propensity towards the supreme entity. This movement towards the supreme entity is known as Bhakti. That is why the sages, the great personalities say that Bhakti is the only way. In the first phase I said there is some imperfection and if you want to free yourself, you will have to subjectivise all your desires, all your longings towards that singular entity. In the case of the actional faculty also one will have to direct all one’s movements towards that Supreme Personality, and in the case of third item there must be pointedness, supra-psychic pointedness. And that pointedness is what? “Oh Lord, I want nothing. I want that this pointed propensity of mine be goaded and guided unto you, let this pointed propensity of mine be placed at Your altar. This is what is called Nirguńa Bhakti. Nirguńa Bhakti is the only way. Now how is one to attain Nirguńa Bhakti, this pointedness, this non-attributional supra-psychic pointedness?

Ananyamamatá viśńor mamatá Prema sauṋgatá.

Not by moving towards A, B, C. D… X, Y, Z, but by withdrawing all movements from all objects and goading the collective force of one’s mind unto the supreme one-pointedness, the pinnacled mind, the apexed mind. Now how is one to do this? One will have to go beyond the periphery of attributionality, and beyond the periphery of the psychic world because the goal is supra-psychic. Human beings alone among so many creatures in the universe can do sádhaná – others cannot. But even the human beings in their individual capacity are very weak and insignificant. Then what is one to do? In one’s individual capacity one is very weak, but three bondages are very strong. A mosquito on one side and on the other side, a great mammoth! Then how can one establish oneself in the grandeur of spiritual excellence? Is there no future for an ordinary person? Certainly there is future. In the morning I told you that the Supreme Entity calls one and all, “Oh human beings, come; I am anxiously and eagerly waiting for you.” So the future of humanity is not sealed forever, it can never be sealed forever. Humanity has a bright future, a golden future, because that Supreme Lord is beyond the arena of all bondages and all demarcated line are His creations. The shástra says:

Daevii hyeśá guńamayii mama Máyá duratyayá;
Mámeva ye prapadyante Máyámetáḿ taranti te.⁽¹⁾

This binding force, this dangerous binding force with her dexterous hand created the serpentine noose. It is very difficult for ordinary human beings to free themselves from this serpentine noose, but people must not be disheartened or discouraged I am here to help you. Why am I here? These binding forces, these degenerating agencies are under me; they have to obey me. So although you may be an ordinary human being, if you take shelter in me I am to help you. This insurmountable Máyá won’t remain insurmountable. With the help of the Supreme Lord you will easily surmount this dangerous Máyá. So even those ordinary human beings who take shelter in Parama Puruśa’s all-pervading kindness and compassion, are sure to attain the supreme excellence of spiritual grandeur; nobody has any reason to be disheartened. The Supreme Entity always call anybody and everybody, “oh human beings, oh painstaking human beings, don’t be afraid, don’t be disheartened, I am for you, oh human beings, please come, you please come, I am for you.”

Footnotes

(1) Bhagavad Giitá. –Trans.

Chapter 10	Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 12

The subject of today’s discourse is “Ádarsha and Iśt́a.” Now, what is Ádarsha and what is Iśt́a? We are all constantly on the move: each and every entity of the universe from the huge dinosaurs to the smallest blade of grass is in a state of constant motion – nothing is fixed, nothing is static. Movement is life, and perishability is the natural law of the universe. When everything is in a state of motion, then what is the goal of movement? Every movement certainly has a terminating point, and that terminating point is ádarsha. Human beings also move on, but to move forward sometimes they need energy. But where does this energy come from? The source of all energy is Parama Puruśa. With His energy all entities are moving. No living being has its own energy: endowed with the energy of Parama Puruśa, it moves forward towards its ádarsha.

Is there any difference between ádarsha and iśt́a? This is a knotty question indeed. Ádarsha is that which is the very goal towards which all entities are moving. The word ádarsha is derived from á – drsh + ghaiṋ; when the feminine suffix uniiś is added to the word ádarsha we get the word ádarshii which means “a mirror”. What human beings wish to become is their ádarsha.

Human beings are constantly on the move, but the question is, what is the culminating point – the point they reach at the end of their movement? Take the case of a small child: it is always weak and powerless. If it wants to be strong, it has to undergo regular physical exercises. If the child grows strong and powerful through physical exercises, that is it’s ádarsha – that is to say, ádarsha is a state endowed with particular qualities.

Now, when human beings do not move towards that state, what happens? I have just said that movement is the law of the universe. It is a providential decree that movement is a must for all: caraeveti, caraeveti – “proceed on, proceed on.” Naturally human beings must keep on moving ceaselessly; but supposing one does not have a goal, then one’s movement will be like that of a rudderless ship sailing on stormy sea. If you keep rowing a boat without a fixed goal all your labour will go in vain, your time will be wasted, and you will also run the risk of being caught in a whirlpool. Therefore human beings must always have an ádarsha, an ideology before them.

Now, what is iśt́a? The word iśt́a has two meanings: the entity which you love most, or which is your most favourite, is your iśt́a. Now the question is, what is the most favourite object? Every microcosm has an existential “I” feeling, and every microcosmic “I” feeling is an expression of the greater “I” feeling. Now, each microcosm has two “I’s”: one is the small “I”, and the other is the greater “I”. Parama Puruśa is the greater “I”; the small “I” is finite happiness, whereas the greater “I” represents infinite happiness. Every microcosm desires [[finite]] happiness, but the dearest object of all is infinite happiness. Finite happiness is an individual’s affair, whereas infinite happiness is a universal affair. Infinite happiness is that aspect of Parama Puruśa which is generally called Personal God.

According to philosophy, the Supreme Entity who controls this universe is Parama Puruśa; He is also the nucleus of the cosmological order. But the Parama Puruśa of philosophy, the hub of the universe, is a formless, impersonal entity, whereas human beings always prefer a personal God whom they can love, and to whom they can explain the pleasures and pains of their life. Human beings cannot feel extreme love and affection towards an impersonal God or philosophy because that is only a metaphysical concept, and the human heart cannot fully identify itself with an abstract idea. People cannot reveal the stories of their joys and sorrows, pains and pleasures, loves and affections, to an abstract idea. They want a personal God to whom they can fully convey their feelings and sentiment. This is an absolute necessity. Human beings do not search for their God in distant nebulae and meteors – they seek Him right near them, in their very midst. They want to accept Him totally as their shelter in life. In the play of abstract imagination people may derive some temporary satisfaction, but not lasting peace. The God of philosophy cannot provide complete fulfilment to people’s deep internal urges: they want One to whom they can open their hearts. Such an entity is one’s iśt́a.

What is the difference between dharma and iśt́a? That which sustains is dharma: Yah dhárańaḿ karoti sah dharma. Dhriyate dharmah ityáhuh sa eva paramaḿ prabhuh. A microcosm is distinguished by its innate property: we say “this is oxygen” because it has such-and-such characteristics. We say “this is fire” because it has its own property. Similarly, air also has its own unique property. Thus every object in the universe is distinguished by its unique characteristic. If fire ceases to burn, we no longer call it fire; if air stops blowing, we no longer call it air, because mobility is its inherent characteristic. In Saḿskrta there are two words nila and niila. Niila means “blue colour”, whereas nila means “fixed, stationary.” If air is immobile, then it becomes nila or stationary, and not anila or mobile. In this way innate properties or characteristics of objects distinguish between animate and inanimate, organic and inorganic, movable or immovable entities.

Human beings, animals, and plants, all have life. Just as plants have certain common characteristics, animals too have certain common characteristics. Of the numerous differences between plants and animals, the major difference is that plants are relatively static, whereas animals are dynamic. Now, if plants become more dynamic, then they too will come within the category of animals. Now, what is the difference between human beings and animals? Human beings follow Bhágavata dharma but animals do not. The common characteristics shared by humans and animals are eating, sleeping and dying. But human beings have the unique property of Bhágavata dharma which is lacking in animals. This is the speciality of human beings.

Now, if this unique characteristic is lacking in human beings, then they will degrade themselves to the level of animality; and if animals develop this characteristic then they will be elevated to the status of humanity.

What are the special characteristics of Bhágavata dharma? They are: vistára (expansion), rasa (flow), seva (service), and tadsthiti (realization of the Supreme). The first criterion of human greatness is the spirit of expansion. Human beings want to give an aesthetic expression to all internal feelings and propensities; this is the first aspect of Bhágavata dharma - vistára.

Rasa means “flow,” Endless waves are emanating from the hub of the cosmological order, and surging in troughs and crests in all directions. These Macrocosmic thought waves are dancing according to the cosmic will of Parama Puruśa. Human beings are also dancing in the rhythm of these aesthetic waves, to the tune of the sweet musical cadence of Krśńa’s flute as He remains in the nucleus of the universe. This is the second aspect of Bhágavata dharma.

The third aspect is sevá or service. Now what is service? Prańipátena pariprashnena sevayá. Among animals there is no spirit of service, but among human beings it is certainly present. Prańipátena means “through total surrender”. Pariprashnena means “through proper queries”: and sevayá means “through service” – that is, Parama Puruśa is attainable through total surrender, spiritual queries, and selfless service. Parama Puruśa Himself does not require any service, but in this universe each and every created object is His progeny. If you serve the children of Parama Puruśa, if you serve the distressed and afflicted human beings, if you render all-round service to humanity in the physical, mental, mundane, supramundane, social and spiritual spheres of life, Parama Puruśa will surely be pleased. This is the real service to the Supreme. If you want to please a mother, simply serve her children and the mother will be pleased. This is the third aspect of Bhágavata dharma.

Service is always unilateral or one sided: that is the major difference between service and business, for business is mutual - you give some money and take something, say, pulses in return. The transaction is mutual. But service is quite different: it is always unilateral. You give something to Parama Puruśa without asking for anything in exchange. When you offer everything unto Parama Puruśa, what else can He ask for? Moreover, who will ask? When you have offered everything to Parama Puruśa, then you have become one with Parama Puruśa, what else can He ask for? Moreover, who will ask? When you have offered everything to Parama Puruśa, then you have become one with Parama Puruśa, and obviously there cannot be anything left to ask for.

The fourth aspect of Bhágavata dharma is tadsthiti: it means to merge your individual identity in Him, your Supreme Goal. I have already said that Parama Puruśa is Táraka Brahma; He is your iśt́a, your personal God. This is not a theoretical concept. The human mind can be delighted with some philosophical ideas, but the heart is not satisfied thus. This four-fold Bhágavata dharma is like a silver line of demarcation between human beings and animals. Bhágavata dharma is the human dharma, mánava dharma; besides this there is no other dharma for humanity.

In the Bhágavata Giitá, Lord Krśńa proclaimed, Shreyán svadharma viguńah paradharmát svánuśt́hitát. What is paradharma or “others’ dharma”! Here Paradharma means that dharma which is followed by plants and animals. The dharma of human beings is Bhágavata dharma. Animals and plants also have their own dharma, but this should not be followed by human beings. Thus Lord Krśńa further declared, Svadharme nidhanaḿ shreyah paradharma bhayávaha; Death is preferable to neglect of one’s own dharma: one should never follow another’s dharma. Out of ignorance, some people misconstrue paradharma to be Hindu dharma, Islam dharma, Christian dharma, etc., but this is not correct; Paradharma means the dharma of animals and plants.

Human dharma is one, and that is Bhágavata dharma. And iśt́a means the personal God with whom all unit beings can establish a relation of love and affection, to whom they can reveal their pains and pleasures, and surrender themselves and take the safest shelter in Him. That Parama Puruśa, that personal God is not the God of philosophy. Human beings cannot establish a very close relationship with something theoretical. If one closely follows Bhágavata dharma, the final result will be the realization of the Supreme, becoming one with one’s iśt́a. Some time ago I said yato dharma tato iśt́ah Yato ista tato jayah. When spiritual aspirants become one with their iśt́a, they no longer remain as insignificant people; in that case their finite happiness is transformed into infinite happiness. Then with their limited strength they become able to perform gigantic tasks. So although there is a theoretical difference between ádarsha and iśt́a, practically both are the same. Human beings can become one with their iśt́a, through the relentless pursuit of Bhágavata dharma. Those who do not follow Bhágavata dharma are almost like animal.

A mystic poet has said,

Krśńa bhajibár tare saḿsáre áinu
Miche máyáy baddha haye brkśa sama hainu.

Human beings have come onto this earth only to follow Bhágavata dharma, and not for any purpose. You have many tasks to perform: whatever you do, you should always feel that all your actions are part of Bhágavata dharma. Wherever you are, you must do something to remove the poverty and distress of the people in that area, to ameliorate their socio-economic condition. But even while discharging your duties thus, you should always remember that whatever you are doing is not a mundane duty it is an inseparable part of your Bhágavata dharma.

Chapter 11	Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 12

The subject of today’s discourse is “Man and His Ideological Desideratum.”

Human life is an ideological flow. In the past, philosophers used to say that man is a rational animal. If you say that man is a rational animal, then you recognize the status of man as an animal, and the only difference between an ordinary animal and man is that man is rational. I do not accept this theory.

Fundamentally, there are many differences amongst plant life, animal life, and human life. There are certain common factors as well. Plants, animals, and human beings require food, light, and water. These are the common factors. They sleep, they want to increase their number, and they die. These are the factors common to the three species, plants, animals, and humans. These three are known as Jaeva Dharma in Sanskrit, the Dharma, the course of living beings.

But these common factors do not make the plants animals or the humans animals. There are so many special factors. There are many differences between plants and animals, but the most important difference is that plants can’t move, they are stationary, and animals can move. This mobility is a special factor, a special characteristic of animals. There are certain plants and also certain animals whose position is just between plant and animal. But we can’t say that an animal is a moving plant, because there are certain fundamental differences, and also living cells of plant and animal are not exactly the same, although fundamentally they have got common course.

The main difference between an animal and a man is that animal life is to eat, drink, sleep, and die. There is no goal, no ideological destiny. But in the case of human beings, they have got the ideological desideratum, they have got the goal of life. And while moving towards the goal of life, if a man faces obstacles or hindrances, he is even ready to commit suicide rather than surrender to the altar of obstacles or hindrances. So strong is human sentiment. So, if we say that man is a rational animal, it will be just like saying that animal is a moving plant.

Man is not a rational animal. Man has got his own dignified status. And in this respect, all humans of the world – not only of this world, but of the entire Universe there are so many planets and stars where there is human life – and all humans of the entire Universe have got the same course. They tend to display their wonts according to climatic conditions, conditions of time and space. But fundamentally, humanity is a singular entity. Those who try to create differences between man and man are not friends or well-wishers of human society. All humans are children of the same father, the Supreme Father. So there must not be any differentiation in that respect.

We must not say that man is a rational animal. Human life, unlike animal life, is an ideological flow. Where there is no ideological flow, in that case, even if the physical structure is just like a man, he is not a man, but is an animal. So each and every human being must try his best to maintain the special status of humans. It is our first duty. It is our fundamental duty. This ideological flow must be maintained at any cost.

Now, this ideological flow, this Dharma, this special code of humanity is known as Bhágavata Dharma or Sanátana Dharma. Bhagavata Dharma means concerning Parama Puruśa, not concerning external rituals or observances, but concerning Parama Puruśa. It is also known as Sanátana Dharma. From the very start of human life, from the primordial phase of human civilization, this Dharma was, this Dharma is, and this Dharma will be with all humans until there is a single man in the Universe.

What are the specialities of this Bhágavata Dharma, this Sanátana Dharma, this Human Dharma? There are four portions: Vistára, Rasa, Sevá, and Tad Sthiti.

Vistára: It is the characteristic of human beings to expand themselves mentally, intellectually, and in all other subtler spheres of life. Inquisitiveness in the subtler spheres of life is the human course. It can’t he suppressed. It can’t be sealed. It can’t be blocked forever. In the interest of the healthy progress of humanity, this intellectual flow must not be suppressed. Human beings can not tolerate this suppression. And those who try to suppress the gleamings of humanity and their philosophy come within the scope of dogma. Dogma is detrimental to human progress.

The second item is Rasa. Wherever there is an existence, there is movement. Mobility is life, and the main waves of this Universe emanate from the Parama Puruśa. Parama Puruśa has so many waves, and due to differences in wave-length, we see so many objects, so many creations. This flow of Parama Puruśa vibrates the entire Universe. This flow of Parama Puruśa is known as Rasa.

But individual entities with their individual consciousness, individual subjectivities have got their respective and individual flows also. You want to do something. You want to write a poem. It’s the individual flow of your mind. If this individual flow gets the support, gets the parallelism of the Cosmic flow, the flow of Parama Puruśa, you become successful. Otherwise you may attain some success, but your desire will not be fulfilled. Where one’s endeavour is to do something great, something noble, or something bad, but it is not supported by the Cosmic flow, then that man is known as a technician. When that flow is supported by the Cosmic flow, that man is known as a genius. What is a technician? The ordinary human quality developed to an extraordinary degree of efficiency is known as “technical man” or “technician”.

The second point was Rasa. It is also one of the human flows. The first one was Vistára, the second was Rasa, and the third point is Sevá.

Sevá means service. There is a fundamental difference between business and service. Business is mutual. You are giving something and you take something. A mutual transaction. But in the case of Seva, you give everything, but you take nothing in return. It is not mutual, it is unilateral. When a man offers this Sevá to Parama Puruśa, it is the highest form of service. While rendering any service to the worldly, one must ascribe Parama Puruśahood to that man.

Suppose you are serving a man whose name is Rama. While serving Rama, you must not think that you are serving Rama. In that case, there will be vanity in your mind. You must think that Parama Puruśa has come before you in the name and form of Ráma; and by serving Ráma, you are actually serving the Parama Puruśa. Because what is Ráma? He is a finite expression of that infinite Parama Puruśa.

The fourth point is Tadsthiti. Tadsthiti means ensconsing one’s soul in the Supreme Stance. Parama Puruśa is the Supreme Goal, the Supreme Desideratum of human life. It is the terminating point of all human approaches. So this Dharma Bhágavad Dharma, Sanátana Dharma is the speciality that differentiates a man from an animal. So we must develop this Human Dharma, and by developing this Human Dharma, the ordinary human entity is based on the grandeur of creation.

Human existence is trifarious. Man has got his spiritual body, psychic body and his quinquelemental body – this physical structure – hands, legs, ears, nose, etc. When the flow is for the Supreme Desideratum, there must be an adjustment amongst these three flows of human spirit, human mind, and human entity. There must be parallelism between spiritual flow and the psychic, and there must be parallelism between psychic wave and the entitative wave.

For progress in entitative flow, one is to lead a pure life, a moralistic life, a life based on moral principles. Do not do anything bad. What is bad? Bad is that which depraves human existence. Follow a strict code of morality. Live a pure life, a neat and clean life. Be strict in 16 Points. What will happen? Your entitative flow will get purified and will be in parallelism with your psychic wave.

For maintaining parallelism between psychic waves and spiritual waves, what are you to do? You are to follow the auto-suggestion and outer-suggestion of incantations. What is outer-suggestion? If you are in the company of good people, that company – their discourses and talks will influence your mind, and your mind will be purified. The curvatures will be less and the flow will be straightened. This is outer-suggestion through incantations. Now, what is auto-suggestion through incantations? It is doing meditation and japa (mantra repetition) as per the instruction of the Ácárya. This is auto-suggestion. These incantative auto-suggestions and outer-suggestions will purify your mind, and the mind will be in the position to maintain proper parallelism with your spiritual flow.

What is spiritual flow? For spiritual flow, you need not go through so many books and so many scriptures. You need not do anything else; only all your propensities should be suspended and brought to a particular point, a particular gland and goaded unto the Parama Puruśa. When you love the Parama Puruśa with all your propensities good and bad, then that collective flow of your mind is devotion. By dint of one’s devotion, one can attain the Supreme Stance. One gets the Parama Puruśa.

So, devotion is the only secret in spiritual movement, and the incantative outer-suggestion and auto-suggestion can help you in psychic movement. A neat and clean life based on morality can help you in your entitative flow, and there must be a happy blending, or parallelism amongst entitative waves, incantative waves, and spiritual waves.

The Supreme Goal of spiritual movement is the desideratum or ideological flow of all human beings. We should always remember this point.

How are we to maintain this parallelism without His special grace, without the grace of Parama Puruśa?

The obstacles, the hindrances are known as Máyá. It is a very powerful force. And it tries to deprave. It tries to degenerate the very existence of human beings. How can an individual with his poor mind fight against such a strong force, Máyá?

Yes, one can fight. If one gets the grace of the Supreme, one can fight. Now, you can say, “This gentleman has got the grace of the Supreme and I do not get the grace. What am I to do?” No, He is omnipotent, omniscient, and all-loving. His grace is for all without any exception. But because of your individual vanity, you do not realize it.

Suppose there is a heavy rain of His grace. If you hold an umbrella of vanity over your head, you will not get drenched with the rain. So, if you remove the umbrella of vanity from your head, you will be drenched with His grace.

No man is unimportant. No man is insignificant. Everyone is a VIP. All of you were born of noble family, the noblest family, because Parama Puruśa is your father. You are not an insignificant person.